A 23-year-old Indonesian woman, identified as Khairun Nisya, was arrested on January 6, 2026 for impersonating a flight attendant on a Batik Air (ID) flight after the airline declined to recruit her during its cabin crew selection process, reported Paddle Your Own Kanoo.
Nisya boarded Batik Air Flight ID7058 from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport (PLM), Palembang, to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Jakarta, wearing a counterfeit crew uniform and presenting a falsified crew identification card, despite holding a standard passenger ticket for the journey.
About Batik Air
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Batik Air |
| IATA Code | ID |
| Headquarters | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Hubs | Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Jakarta |
| Fleet Size | 62 (various Airbus and Boeing models)* |
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Detailed Chronology of the Batik Air’s Flight Attendant Impersonation Incident
On Jan 6, 2026, Khairun Nisya, 23, arrived at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport (PLM) wearing a bespoke Batik Air flight attendant uniform and carrying a fabricated crew ID card. She passed terminal security checks with a valid ticket and boarded flight ID7058 to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) as a standard passenger.
During the flight, genuine cabin crew noted anomalies in her attire and approached her with procedural queries that she failed to answer satisfactorily:
“Concerned about Nisya’s intentions, the crew radioed ahead for aviation security officers to meet the plane on arrival, and she was taken into custody for questioning. Nisya initially denied any wrongdoing but later admitted to impersonating a flight attendant.”
Relevant laws governing impersonation of crew and aviation security (IATA & Indonesia)
The impersonator’s apology was quoted in VNExpress:
“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 apologize to Batik Air and Lion Group.”
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) emphasizes operator control over crew access and airport restricted areas to prevent unauthorized personnel presence, as part of its Safety and Security Standards Manual. This includes requirements for validated crew identification and restricted uniform use.
Police said that follow-up inquiries found no evidence that Nisya intended to engage in any criminal wrongdoing. According to mothership.sg, she was subsequently released after agreeing in writing to certain conditions. Batik Air likewise declined to pursue legal action, opting instead to resolve the matter amicably.
Motivating Factors Behind This Incident
Understanding potential motivational drivers behind extreme responses to recruitment rejection helps frame the event beyond the headline. Embarrassment in social/family context might be a key driver in this case, reports One Mile at a Time:
“she was reportedly too embarrassed to admit to her family that she didn’t get the job, so she told them she had been hired, and decided to purchase the uniform online, to keep the act going”.