British Airways steward wins £30k payout for unfair dismissal

A former British Airways steward, Charly Mateo, has been awarded £29,195 by an employment tribunal for unfair and wrongful dismissal. Mr. Mateo, who was based at Heathrow Airport, was terminated in July 2024 following allegations of inappropriate conduct toward a female colleague during a flight.

The tribunal heard that Mr. Mateo had allegedly disturbed a cabin crew member while she was on a mid-flight break behind a privacy curtain, making a lewd comment about joining the ‘mile high club’, touching her leg, and sharing sexual stories. While the Reading Employment Tribunal acknowledged that Mr. Mateo engaged in ‘strange behaviour’ and invaded his colleague’s privacy, the judge ruled that British Airways failed to conduct a sufficiently thorough investigation into the allegations before dismissing him.

Although Mr. Mateo was awarded the financial compensation, his legal bid to be reinstated to his position at the airline was unsuccessful.