Ex-Lion Air pilot claims airline forced him and others to fly up to 22 hours in a day

Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air seems to have cruised from one crisis to another in the last few years, from a baggage thievery scandal to claims about an incredibly inappropriate captain to one massive set of delays after another. The airline’s passengers have been enraged to the point of rioting on several occasions.

But their problems may run even deeper than perpetual operational disarray. A recently fired Lion Air pilot is now speaking out, telling the media that the way the company treats its air navigators are not just unethical but, if true, is putting its passengers’ safety at serious risk.

One of Lion Air’s disastrous day of delays happened back in May, when several Lion Air pilots went on strike. At the time, the main motivation given for the strike was late payments from the company, but it looks like that might have just been one of several serious issues faced by the airline’s pilots.

Mario Hasiohalan, one of the pilots who went on strike, was subsequently fired for his actions that day. Mario held a press conference with the media yesterday at the offices of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute to explain why they actually went on strike and some of the ways the airline mistreats its most important employees.

“We are often forced to work beyond the regulations. For up to 22 hours, and it happens often,” Mario said as quoted by Kompas (safety regulations generally only allow pilots to fly eight to nine hours per day).

Mario also said that pilots who want to be permanent employees of the airline must sign contracts requiring them to stay with the company anywhere from 5 to 20 years and if they break their contract early they are forced to pay up to Rp 7 billion in penalties. He added that pilots are often forced to work on their days off.

According to Mario, the May strike was due in part to all of these problems, as well as the company’s late expense payments.

Lion Air has not yet responded to Mario’s accusations. However he and other pilots who were involved in the strike were reported to the police by the airline on charges of defamation. 



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on