The two Airbus A330 pilots were about 40 minutes into the flight after takeoff from Heathrow last Monday when they realized that the co-pilot hadn't completed the airline's training protocols, and the captain was not a designated trainer, the outlet said.
"To be completely clear - both pilots were fully licensed and qualified to operate the aircraft, but it is correct to say that flight VS3 operating from Heathrow to New York-JFK on Monday 2 May returned to Heathrow after it was established that the Captain was not designated trainer status," a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic told Daily Voice.
"The pairing of pilots was not in breach of any aviation or safety regulations, but it wasn’t compliant with Virgin Atlantic’s internal training protocols, hence our decision to turn back."
The first officer — who was pending a final assessment — was swapped out and the flight resumed, landing nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes late at JFK, The Post said.
The Civil Aviation Authority was notified of the incident.
"Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight," the CAA said.
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