Engineer Awarded $40,000 After 17-Minute Flight Delay Sacking
Synopsis
The Fair Work Commission awarded an aircraft maintenance engineer more than $40,000 after ruling Heston MRO unfairly dismissed him over a maintenance decision that delayed a Singapore Airlines flight by 17 minutes.
An Australian Aircraft Maintenance Engineer who lost his job with Heston MRO upon refusing to be reinstated has received over $40,000 in compensation from the Fair Work Commission following an unfair dismissal determination.
The employee, a licensed aircraft maintenance manager, has been sacked after attempting to clear diagnostic fault messages on a Singapore Airlines aircraft by turning it off and on again shortly before take-off, which caused a delay of 17 minutes.
Singapore Airlines said that the engineer did not follow the standard maintenance protocols, and the restart was not necessary, resulting in delays and customer dissatisfaction. But Fair Work Commissioner Chris Simpson couldn't find any evidence that the engineer acted maliciously or affected safety.
The Commission also found that Heston MRO did not afford procedural fairness in its dismissal process, such as providing enough opportunity for the employee to respond prior to his dismissal.
The engineer's out-of-the-disclosed casual changes at Virgin Australia did not lead to his reinstatement, but the Commission determined this was neither in isolation enough for reinstatement.
Fair Work Commission Finds Few Procedural Lapses
The decision brings into focus employment practices in the aviation maintenance sector, where strong safety standards often compete with the commercial pressures.
Commissioner Simpson also pointed out that there was not enough evidence to suggest that the company's original investigation was biased despite the Singapore Airlines' dissatisfaction with its initial findings, noting that the company's findings were not based on any incorrect view of the matter.
The Ruling's implications for aviation employers
Singapore Airlines is one of the world's best airline brands that flies to over 120 countries around the world. The carrier's net profit was a record 2.78 billion Singapore dollars (S$3.66 billion) for the financial year ending in March 2025.
It highlighted the ongoing progress towards the recovery of international air travel. The airline has maintenance partners, including Heston MRO, to service its planes and provide technical assistance around the world.
Overall, the increasing size and complexity of the aviation industry have been ongoing ever since the world began to recover from the pandemic. Since that time, the aviation industry has been getting more and more complicated in terms of operations as the world recovers from the pandemic and demand for air travel continues to grow.
Airlines worldwide are projected to transport over 5 billion passengers each year, demonstrating the level of maintenance providers' services they are required to provide safely and on time. The Commission's ruling is a reminder that employers in safety-critical industries need to weigh their responsibilities for operations with fair and transparent employment practices.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
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