Former British Airways flight attendant awarded £30,000 after unfair dismissal ruling
A tribunal in Reading found that British Airways had unfairly dismissed cabin crew member Charly Mateo and ordered the airline to pay him £30,000 in compensation.
British Airways terminated flight attendant Charly Mateo after a female colleague reported that he asked her about joining the "mile high club" and allegedly touched her leg while she was behind a privacy curtain. The airline dismissed him in July 2024 without a thorough inquiry. At a Reading employment tribunal, the judge ruled the dismissal substantively unfair because the carrier interviewed Mateo before obtaining a full account from the complainant and did not adequately question the alleged victim.
Mateo, who earned a basic salary of £21,833 plus allowances, was awarded £29,195.69 in compensation, but his bid for reinstatement was rejected. The case highlights shortcomings in the airline's handling of workplace misconduct allegations.
Why it matters
The ruling underscores the need for employers to conduct fair investigations before dismissing staff for alleged misconduct.
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