Snacks And Coffee In The Cockpit, These Two Pilots Discount Aviation Airlines

Illustration of the SpiceJet fleet. (Wikimedia Commons/Md Shaifuzzaman Ayan)

JAKARTA - India's low-cost airline, SpiceJet, suspended two of its pilots after they allegedly consumed coffee and pastries in the cockpit, calling it an act that could jeopardize flights.

A photo showing an unclosed cup with the airline's logo placed very close to the control lever in the cockpit, sparked outrage among the aviation community in India and cyberspace.

The pilots, whose faces were not shown in the picture, also held the gujiya, a sweet fried cake that is usually eaten during the Hindu holi festival.

A SpiceJet spokesman told CNN the two pilots had been temporarily suspended pending an investigation into the incident.

"SpiceJet has a strict policy (related to) food consumption in the cockpit that must be obeyed by all flight crews. Proper disciplinary action will be taken after the investigation is complete," the spokesman said.

Shakti Lumban, a retired pilot and former head of operations for Indian airlines, IndiGo said the "photos on social media" carried out by the pilots were "unadulty" and "uninhabitable", mainly because they were responsible for the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.

"It's really an unexplained behavior. All pilots are aware of the dangers of fluid spills in the cockpit," he said, adding that most company regulations and aviation regulations prohibit placing any food and liquid on the central base console.

It is known, under the console there are a lot of electrical cables that are very important for controlling the aircraft. Spilling hot drinks above it can cause the technical equipment to become too hot or trigger the system to shut down.

CNN has contacted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation India (DGCA) to comment on the incident.

The low-cost airline has faced many incidents last year, prompting several investigations from aviation regulators.

Last May, the autopilot of one of the SpiceJet planes was damaged and caused severe turbulence, resulting in several injuries on board.

The regulator also ordered to reduce the airline's operational flight by eight weeks, after previously eight technical damages were experienced by the airline's fleet.