An appellate court on Sunday justified an airline company’s dismissal of a pilot who invited a comedian to the flight deck during operation without prior authorization.

The Seoul High Court ruled against Choi, a former pilot of a carrier, who was fired after being revealed that he had invited one of the passengers, his favorite comedian, to the flight deck during flight in November 2008. He called for the annulment of the dismissal, claiming that other companies’ disciplinary measure for cases of a kind is lighter.

The judges said Choi’s demeanor is grave enough for a dismissal. “The most trivial deeds of a pilot could lead to disaster. The flight deck is a very small place, crammed with equipments and buttons. Having an unauthorized person in the room could invite various risks to passenger safety,” said Judge Jeong Jong-gwan.

A local court ruled in favor of Choi saying the dismissal is an excessive punishment for his hip-shooting behavior.

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)