Southwest Airlines, the highly successful US low cost
airline – the one that Ryanair is modelled on, has fired two pilots
(both men) for allegedly taking off their clothes whilst in the cockpit,
in flight.

Southwest is famous for being offbeat. When they started
flying in 1971, flight attendants wore hot pants (one assumes the female
ones) and were chosen for sex appeal and they are known even today for
making funny in-flight announcements, sometimes even in song.

This is not the first time that pilots have behaved
badly – America West fired a pair of pilots last year for being under
the influence of alcohol in the cockpit after running up a $142 tab at
a Miami bar the night before. A Northwest Airlines pilot was arrested
in January, after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on.