Mexico City,

A commercial airline pilot in Mexico City refused to take off on Friday and barricaded himself inside the cockpit of an aircraft, staging a protest over unpaid wages, according to local media reports.

The incident occurred aboard a scheduled flight from Mexico City to Cancún, when the pilot allegedly addressed passengers to explain his actions.

“This plane isn’t leaving until they pay us what they owe us,” the pilot was heard saying in a video circulated on social media and cited by local outlets, including Reforma newspaper.

AFP said it was unable to independently verify the footage, which quickly spread online.

Salary dispute

In the video, the pilot claimed his employer owed him five months of salary and travel expenses. He apologised to passengers for the disruption, saying he felt compelled to take action after repeated attempts to resolve the issue.

“I feel bad for you, because you don’t deserve this,” he told passengers, adding that he had worked for the airline for nearly three years without ever failing to complete a flight. He also said he was the father of three children.

Authorities intervene

Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport confirmed on social media platform X that civil aviation authorities were investigating an “incident” reported at around 3:00pm local time (2100 GMT).

According to Mexican media, the pilot was later detained by authorities, and passengers were evacuated safely from the aircraft. No injuries were reported.

Officials have not yet disclosed the name of the airline involved or commented on the pilot’s claims regarding unpaid wages.

The incident has renewed attention on labour disputes within parts of the aviation sector, as airlines worldwide continue to face operational and staffing challenges.