Overview
- Okan Dalkiran was accused of masturbating near a colleague in a Heathrow staff rest area on August 15, 2023, and was arrested onboard a BA aircraft about two weeks later with no passengers present.
- He was acquitted at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on November 20, 2023, after magistrates cited body-worn camera footage, low lighting, blankets over partitions, and a lack of corroboration.
- British Airways dismissed him on April 9, 2024, and two internal appeals upheld the decision before an employment tribunal in Watford ruled the firing unfair.
- Employment Judge Sally Cowen found BA’s investigation unreasonable for relying on the complainant’s apparent distress, failing to test her account, and not seeking details from the criminal case.
- The tribunal also questioned BA’s claim of reputational damage, noting there were no passengers during the arrest and no handcuffs, with compensation to be set at a later hearing.