A 23-year-old woman dressed as a Batik Air cabin crew member and boarded a flight after allegedly being turned down for a job with the Indonesian low-cost carrier.
Khairun Nisya from Palembang, Indonesia, boarded flight 7058 to Jakarta on January 6, dressed in airline-branded clothing, carrying a Batik Air-branded suitcase, and even created a fake ID. However, the real crew became suspicious, and when they questioned her, she could not answer even the simplest questions. The crew then alerted the authorities, and when they arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, she was apprehended.
After being detained by the police, Nisya later revealed that she had applied to become a cabin crew member with Batik Air but had failed the assessment. She then met a person in Jakarta who had promised her that she could become crew if she paid them around $2,000. In a desperate attempt, she paid the money but could no longer contact the person.
As she did not want to disappoint her family, she lied and said that she had been successful in her application. After purchasing a uniform online, she headed to Palembang Airport, where she reportedly passed through standard passenger screening channels, had a valid boarding pass, and was not carrying any prohibited items. Nisya said that she had intended to change out of the uniform when she reached the airport, but did not have time.
Nisya has since issued a video apology to Lion Group and Batik Air. In it, she said: “My name is Khairun Nisya. I am 23 years old, from Palembang. It is true that I flew on Batik Air Flight ID 7058 on Jan 6, 2026, wearing a flight attendant uniform. I am not a Batik Air cabin crew member. I sincerely apologise to Batik Air and Lion Group.” Batik Air did not press charges and has since closed the case amicably.
© Confessions of a Trolley Dolly by Dan Air