A decision by Air Malta to suspend a pilot over a Facebook comment was a “kneejerk “ reaction, the airline pilots’ association (ALPA) said on Saturday.

On Friday, Air Malta said it had suspended the pilot over comments made in relation to a technical inflight return on one of its aircraft. “The management has taken note of these reports and is taking immediate action and commencing an investigation by an appointed board of inquiry,” the airline said.

The Labour Party’s news portal reported on Wednesday that the pilot had “taken pleasure” from the fact that an Air Malta aircraft had developed a technical issue during industrial action ordered by the pilots’ union.

ALPA had instructed its pilots not to operate a new aircraft because it lacked a button that allowed pilots to erase the cockpit recording after an uneventful flight. The action was suspended after Air Malta filed a warrant of a prohibitory injunction against the union.

The technical fault had developed on the same aircraft that was at the centre of the dispute meaning it could not operate despite the court order.

The pilot in question had written in social media post that he was ‘amused’ that the technical issue had arisen at a time when ALPA was telling pilots not to fly that particular plane.

In a statement, ALPA said the pilot was suspended “following a knee-jerk reaction by the company’s management to a public outcry regarding a misleading article appearing on a political party media portal.” 

“Five months ago, the pilot in question referred to the irony of when an aircraft ‘follows’ an ALPA directive.  This was maliciously taken out of context by the person who forwarded it to an online political party portal,” the union said.

“Additionally this was an attack on a representative of the pilot workforce intended only to intimidate the pilot community. One has to bear in mind that this comment was posted on a closed group pilot forum.”

ALPA said the only reason why it was not issuing an immediate industrial action “is to not let our passengers carry the brunt of our company’s bad management decisions.”

It said the pilot in question is “a highly dedicated and professional individual who would never act irresponsibly towards his passengers, fellow colleagues and the company. The whole pilot community is united in its support for this individual.”