An Australian aircraft maintenance engineer has been awarded more than A$40,000 (approximately US$28,000) in compensation after Australia’s Fair Work Commission ruled that his dismissal over a maintenance decision that delayed a Singapore Airlines flight by 17 minutes was procedurally unfair.
Although the tribunal found flaws in the way his employer handled the disciplinary process, it declined to reinstate him, citing an irreparable breakdown in the employment relationship. The dispute arose from an incident involving a Singapore Airlines aircraft at Singapore Changi Airport.
The Brisbane-based engineer, who worked for aircraft maintenance company Heston MRO between May 2023 and December 2025, decided to shut down and restart the aircraft after multiple fault messages appeared in the cockpit before departure.
The aircraft’s pilots agreed with the decision to reboot the system, which cleared the warning messages but delayed the flight by 17 minutes. Following the incident, Singapore Airlines withdrew the engineer’s maintenance authorisation, arguing that the system restart was unnecessary for the reported fault. The airline maintained that the engineer had relied on personal judgment instead of following established maintenance procedures, resulting in an avoidable delay and customer complaints.
The engineer, who has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, defended his actions, saying rebooting the aircraft was a standard troubleshooting practice similar to restarting a smartphone to resolve minor software issues. He argued that the procedure improved operational safety, reduced the workload on the flight crew, and prevented more significant disruptions.
An initial internal investigation by Heston MRO supported the engineer’s position, concluding that he had followed accepted practice and had not breached any procedures. The findings were reportedly endorsed by several senior executives, including the company’s chief executive.
However, Singapore Airlines challenged the objectivity of that investigation. In response, Heston MRO commissioned a second review led by its newly appointed Head of Quality and Safety. The revised report described the engineer’s actions as a “reckless violation” of procedures.Based on the second investigation, Heston MRO terminated the engineer’s employment.
According to evidence presented before the tribunal, he was dismissed without being given access to the new report or an opportunity to respond to its findings.The engineer subsequently challenged his dismissal before Australia’s Fair Work Commission. In its ruling, the Commission found that Heston MRO had failed to provide procedural fairness by not adequately informing the employee of the allegations against him or allowing him to defend himself before terminating his employment.
Fair Work Commissioner Chris Simpson stated that there was no evidence the engineer had acted recklessly or maliciously, nor was there any indication that the safety of the flight had been compromised. During the proceedings, Heston MRO also argued that the engineer had breached company guidelines by undertaking secondary employment with Virgin Australia without authorisation, raising concerns about fatigue management.
The engineer responded that his additional work never conflicted with his primary responsibilities and that he consistently complied with all mandatory aviation rest requirements. Commissioner Simpson found no evidence that the engineer’s secondary employment had affected his work performance or contributed to fatigue. Despite ruling that the dismissal was unfair, the Commission declined to order the engineer’s reinstatement.
The tribunal concluded that his failure to formally disclose his additional employment had damaged the level of trust required for the employment relationship to continue.Instead, the Commission awarded the engineer A$40,000 in compensation for the financial losses he suffered as a result of the unfair dismissal.
Heston MRO has indicated that it intends to appeal the ruling, maintaining that strict adherence to aviation maintenance procedures is essential to ensuring operational safety.
