A senior British Airways pilot has reportedly been caught stealing food and drinks from the airline’s Waterside headquarters in London.

The pilot, a veteran Airbus A380 training captain with more than two decades of service, was captured on CCTV repeatedly taking items from the self-service “pavement café” without paying. The café, which operates on an honor system, offers snacks, sandwiches, and coffee for staff, who are expected to check out and pay at self-service tills.

Despite earning an estimated £170,000 annually, the captain allegedly ignored the payment process and treated the facility as his personal pantry.

Sources revealed that the incident left managers “dumbfounded.” One insider said, “Anyone can make a mistake once but this was a deliberate act repeated regularly. It beggars belief someone on £170,000 a year could shoplift and save himself a few pennies.”

The airline summoned the pilot for questioning but, instead of facing dismissal, he reportedly received only a warning. Several other senior managers were also found to have engaged in similar behavior and were cautioned about their conduct.

Critics argued that if lower-paid employees, such as cabin crew, had been involved, they would likely have been dismissed. The decision has sparked debate about fairness and accountability within the airline.

British Airways has not publicly commented on the case.

Sun UK