A WOMAN photographed in the cockpit of an Air Guilin plane during a flight has been identified as a student of a local university, and the police are mulling taking action against her for endangering aviation safety, Beijing News reported.

A staff member from the Guilin Tourism University in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region confirmed to the newspaper that the woman was a student majoring in air service at the university.

The university has launched its own probe and interrogated the woman, the staff member said.

The captain who allowed her in the cockpit during the flight has been suspended for life and may lose his license, according to Air Guilin. Other on-duty crew members were suspended from flying for 12 months.

Senior officials of the airline, including the chief executive, general manager and maintenance vice-general manager, were also punished and fined over the incident, according to the notice.

The incident came to light Sunday after a Sina Weibo user posted a screenshot of the female passenger’s post, which contains a photo of her sitting in the cockpit. The passenger also expressed her delight and gratitude to the captain.

It immediately sparked discussion online. Netizens were irritated not only by the pilot’s irresponsible behavior, but also by the airline’s slow response. A statement released by Air Guilin on Monday showed the airline only became aware of the case from the Sina Weibo user’s post.

They raised doubts over precautionary measures, questioning why such a huge mistake was not discovered earlier.

Zhang Qihuai, a researcher on air and space law at the China University of Political Science and Law, said the punishment was reasonable and the woman should also be held accountable for threatening the safety of passengers.

A police officer at the Guilin airport said the police would forward the case to the senior level for possible punishment. (China Daily)