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A video of a couple engaging in sexual activity onboard a commercial flight has sparked massive outrage over social media leading to an internal investigation by the airline.
The video was captured by the cockpit-controlled security cameras on the Swiss Air passenger jet.
It shows the couple engaging in sexual activity in the galley of the plane. It was filmed in November on Swiss Air's 12-hour-long Flight 181 flying from Bangkok to Zurich.
"A couple on board a recent Swiss Air flight from Bangkok to Zurich joined the mile-high club in the first-class galley while secretly being recorded by the pilots. The cockpit crew are now under investigation for sharing the footage on group chats which has since gone viral," one person wrote on X, while sharing a screenshot from the viral video.
A couple on board a recent Swiss Air flight from Bangkok to Zurich joined the mile-high club in the first-class galley while secretly being recorded by the pilots.
The cockpit crew are now under investigation for sharing the footage on group chats which has since gone viral. pic.twitter.com/B9cGA8dVKZ
— ᒍᑌᔕT ᗰIKE (@JustMikeMcKay) December 5, 2024
Swiss Air has launched an investigation into privacy 'violations', while airline officials have promised to identify and discipline the crew members who are responsible for recording the video without the permission of the couple and later posting it on social media.
"The filming of people without their clear consent as well as the transfer of these recordings contradict our guidelines and values and violate the applicable data protection regulations," Daily Mail quoted Swiss Air media spokesperson Meike Fuhlrott as saying.
She noted that the crew after spotting the couple on camera should have "intervened directly" and not filmed the act. "Our crews are known for their professionalism. We trust in the competence of our crews and are convinced of their abilities," Fuhlrott added.
Further, the airline noted that both the viral footage as well as the sarcastic commentary on social media were "disrespectful" to passengers.
Fuhlrott said that the airline is trying to find out "exactly what happened and how these recordings came out". The trust of our passengers and respectful interactions are our top priority," the airline official said.
It must be noted that the CCTV cameras on the planes were part of crew security measures that were installed after the 9/11 hijackings. These are aimed at monitoring any attempts to break into the cockpit, rather than spying on passengers, she added.