India's Jet Airways fires pilots for 'cockpit fight'

Jet Airways has fired two pilots who allegedly fought inside the cockpit of a London-Mumbai flight last week.

The private Indian airline said in a statement that it had "terminated services of both the cockpit crew with immediate effect".

The pilots involved - a man and a woman - were taken off flight duties pending an investigation.

The alleged fight occurred mid-air on 1 January. The flight carrying 324 passengers landed safely in Mumbai.

According to Indian media reports which quoted witnesses, the incident occurred after the male pilot allegedly slapped the female pilot.

The woman left the cockpit in tears, but colleagues eventually persuaded her to go back, reports said.

An official at India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the Press Trust of India news agency that the pilot had also left the cockpit unattended twice during the incident, breaking safety regulations.

A spokesperson for Jet Airways confirmed to the BBC that an incident had occurred, but did not give details of the events that took place.

The airline added that the incident had been reported to the DGCA, saying that it had "zero tolerance for any action of its employees that compromises safety".

"At Jet Airways, safety of guests, crew and assets is of paramount importance," the spokesperson said.