Had Been Arrested Following Altercation In A Chicago Hotel In 2013

Etihad Airlines has been accused of helping a former pilot flee the United States, breaking his bail conditions after being arrested in Chicago.

The U.K. newspaper The Independent reports that two year ago, Saravdeep Mann, then a co-pilot for Etihad, had attacked another former pilot at a hotel in Chicago in an alleged "drunken rampage." Martyn Baylay, the British pilot who was allegedly attacked, said Mann had come at him with a bronze statue threatening to kill him.

In documents filed with a court in Chicago, Baylay charges that Etihad had Mann picked up at the police station where he was being held and changed its flight schedule in order to return him to Abu Dhabi, according to the report.

Baylay claims that Etihad knew of Mann's alcohol problems, and that its executives arranged for him to be spirited from the U.S. where they knew he faced criminal charges.

Etihad told the The Independent that Mann, and Indian national, had not informed them of his bail conditions and had been following its policy of returning a staff member to their home base in order to conduct an investigation. The airline said the incident occurred when both pilots were off duty, and it had not played any role in securing Mann's bail.

Baylay left Etihad this past summer. He is seeking damages from the airline alleging negligence and for personal injury caused by Mann. The Independent reports that he required hospital treatment for deep cuts to his head and 82 days leave to recover from both physical and emotional trauma related to the attack.

FMI: www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/etihad-united-arab-emirates-airline-accused-of-assisting-pilots-breach-of-bail-by-flying-him-out-of-a6696896.html