Laos authorities seized 521kg of meth from a Learjet at Luang Prabang Airport on October 1 and detained 13 people, including a Singaporean pilot.
Pilot Corner
airBaltic first officers can receive a guaranteed base salary from approximately €72,420 per year, with planned productivity bringing average annual compensation to around €88,470 on the commuting roster.
Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly planned to crash FZ1073 into Ben Gurion Airport after taking control of the aircraft, but Captain Smit Machchhar and passengers stopped the attack.
In 2026, Emirates continues to offer some of the highest pilot salaries globally, especially when considering the airline’s tax-free salary structure.
An Air New Zealand (NZ) turboprop descended approximately 2,500 feet below its planned approach path while preparing to land at Timaru Airport in June 2023, after the pilots failed to notice an incorrect autopilot setting.
Pilot compensation received a significant boost in 2026 after Air Transat pilots ratified a new five-year collective agreement covering the period through April 2030.
Pilots also have rules governing the use of personal electronic devices during flight, even though passengers may sometimes see tablets being used in the cockpit.
First officers at WestJet in 2026 receive a base annual salary that typically starts around CAD 120,000 per year for newer pilots on narrow-body operations.
Salary information for Riyadh Air is less transparent than for established airlines, so the figures below should be treated as estimated 2026 compensation rather than a guaranteed company-wide pay scale.
A Vietnam Airlines first officer can earn approximately VNĐ80 million to VNĐ150 million per month, while experienced captains can earn around VNĐ180 million to VNĐ300 million per month depending on rank, aircraft and experience.