‘Fake’ Batik Air Flight Attendant Offered Cabin Crew Scholarship

An Indonesian woman who was recently arrested for impersonating a flight attendant with Batik Air has now been given something she never expected: A real shot at actually becoming a cabin crew.

The woman, Khairun Nisa, 23, has been awarded a full scholarship by Aeronef Academy, a cabin crew training institution in Kediri, East Java.

The scholarship covers her professional training and certification, giving her a legitimate pathway into the aviation industry.

Khairun was detained after boarding a Batik Air flight from Palembang to Jakarta on Jan 6 masquerading as a Batik Air flight attendant, wearing what appeared to be a near-identical replica of the airline’s crew uniform. 

Investigations later revealed that Nisa was not attempting to scam passengers or gain any benefits but was acting out of desperation.

She had previously fallen victim to a job scam in Jakarta after paying 30 million rupiah (S$2,284) to someone who promised her a cabin crew position, then disappeared, leaving her jobless.

Embarrassed and unable to admit the truth to her family, who already believed that she had secured employment as a flight attendant, Khairun made the ill-judged decision to pretend to be already working. She later posted a video apology to Batik Air.

Aeronef Academy said they were moved by Khairun’s determination and the emotional circumstances behind her actions and decided to step in and offer her a second chance.

Talk about a plot twist.

While some netizens applauded Aeronef Academy for giving Khairun what feels like a fairytale ending, others weren’t convinced.

“Why does this feel like she is being rewarded for lying?” asked one. 

“Being scammed doesn’t mean putting everyone’s life at risk on the flight,” wrote another.

Photos: TVOne News