Former British Airways Engineer Takes Airline to Court Over Wrongful Termination

A former British Airways engineer claims he was fired over selective safety concerns and he’s taking the airline to court over it.

John Higgins, a former British Airways engineer who served the airline for 27 years, is suing his old employer on the grounds of wrongful termination. According to The Herald, Higgins alleges the work he was dismissed over last year was part of a set of systemic problems at British Airways Maintenance Glasgow base.

Higgins claims he was fired by the airline after he installed the wrong wiring on an aircraft, replacing a damaged wire with an incorrect splice, a mistake which he says “did not compromise the safe operation of the aircraft.” According to Higgins, he made the error due to extreme pressure stemming from staffing issues, unreasonable timescales and excessive workload. British Airways argued that he failed to correctly make a record of the repair and note the poor wiring from the contractor. This allegedly led directly to the engineer’s dismissal.

However, Higgins alleges that this is part of a much bigger problem that employees face at the maintenance facility. In a written statement, Higgins said he “raised concerns during 2006 and 2007 that British Airways was not complying with full safety requirements in carrying out their aircraft maintenance.”

Higgins’ statement went on to read:

The disclosure I made was that at my workplace of British Airways, 80 percent to 90 percent of the aircraft maintenance work was not being performed in strict compliance with CAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety provisions. It was my belief that this was a serious safety lapse which could potentially result in fatalities.

Higgins claims he took his concerns directly to the CAA and EASA, which prompted the agencies to investigate and issue findings of failure against the airline. Meanwhile officials at British Airways maintained that the incorrect repair completed by Higgins was tied to the landing gear, which could have malfunctioned midair.

“The potential impact of the claimant’s use of the incorrect splice was huge,” said Brian Queally, the British Airways manager who fired Higgins. “If the splice failed it could have affected the correct functioning of the landing gear, resulting in a potential catastrophic incident.”

Managers at the airline told the court they were not aware of Higgins’ claims dating back nearly 10 years and they were not a factor in the decision to fire him. Higgins now works for Monarch Airlines, continuing his career as an engineer. His lawsuit against British Airways is ongoing.

[Photo: British Airways]