A Virgin Australia pilot is suing the airline over claims he injured his back carrying a heavy flight bag full of charts and documents.
The pilot, identified in news reports as David Linton Kloster, a first officer, is seeking more than $1m in lost earnings and expenses after hurting himself picking up the 18kg bag. He says the contents of the bag could have been stored electronically or left on the aircraft.
“The defendant (Virgin Australia) exposed the plaintiff (Mr Kloster) to a risk of injury which could have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care,” The Daily Telegraph quoted court documents lodged at Queensland Supreme Court. “(Virgin Australia) failed to have in place a system of work whereby charts and rules could have been left on board its aircraft or kept electronically on an iPad.”
Virgin said it had yet to receive notice of the complaint but was committed to creating a safe workplace.
