A British Airways pilot has been jailed for lying about his flying experience to get a job.

Craig Butfoy, of Matfield, near Tunbridge Wells, made false claims about how many hours he had flown as a captain and lied on his CV.

Butfoy made the claims to get and retain work with British Airways subsidary BA CityFlyer - based at London City Airport - and former Irish airline Stobart Air, between April 2016 and March 2018.

The 49-year-old was handed a 12-month prison sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court earlier this week after pleading guilty to four charges of fraud.

Counsel for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Jonathan Spence said: “The Civil Aviation Authority's prosecution and the sentence imposed show that offences of this kind are taken very seriously by the Civil Aviation Authority and the courts.

"Pilot integrity is at the heart of aviation safety and we will take all steps necessary to maintain that position.”

Details outlined in court papers included allegations Butfoy falsely claimed to have flown 1,610 hours in a job application to BA CityFlyer.

"At no point was there any risk to customers or colleagues..."

He was also accused of falsifying details on his CV, including that he held a private pilot's licence since 1998, and fabricated training course documents.

A spokesman for British Airways said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority, and the fully-qualified pilot was suspended and an investigation launched as soon as BA CityFlyer became aware of discrepancies in his employment record.

“At no point was there any risk to customers or colleagues.”

The airline added that Butfoy had a full pilot’s licence.

Aer Lingus’s regional carrier Stobart Air collapsed in June last year after running into financial trouble during the coronavirus pandemic.