British Airways has confirmed that four of its pilots died recently, but has asserted that their deaths aren’t connected, shooting down speculation that the airline is in “crisis talks” with the UK government.
Viral social media posts have been sharing audio recordings that are claimed to be of a man who spoke to a pilot at British Airways, conveying that the pilot shared information regarding several healthy pilots dying after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
The deaths spurred talks with the government about cutting off flying privileges for vaccinated pilots, one recording asserted.
British Airways confirmed the deaths to The Epoch Times, but said they didn’t lead to talks with the government.
“Sadly, four members of our pilot community passed away recently. Our thoughts are with their family and friends. However, there is no truth whatsoever in the claims on social media speculating that the four deaths are linked,” the company stated in an email.
British Airways declined to say how many, if any, of the pilots received a COVID-19 vaccine before dying.
Dr. Sarah Branch, director of vigilance and risk management of medicines at the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, told The Epoch Times via email that the agency has “not been made aware of deaths of BA pilots after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and have not had discussions with BA or other airlines about preventing pilots from flying after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.”
“There are currently no restrictions on aviation or other industries and activities post-vaccination. Our advice remains that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks in the majority of people. It is still vitally important that people come forward for their vaccination and for their second dose when invited to do so,” she said.
