A 23-year-old Indonesian woman has been arrested after going to surprising lengths to convince her family she had landed her dream job as a flight attendant — despite being rejected by the airline.
The woman, identified as Khairun Nisya, had applied to work for Indonesian airline Batik Air but failed the interview. Instead of admitting the outcome to her family, she allegedly decided to pretend she had been hired.
Boarded Plane Dressed as Crew
According to reports, Nisya purchased a Batik Air-style uniform online — including a white kebaya blouse, patterned skirt, and even a fake ID badge — so she could look the part.
She then bought a regular passenger ticket and boarded a Batik Air flight from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang to Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on January 6.
Once onboard, real crew members noticed her outfit didn’t perfectly match the official uniform. Their suspicions grew when she couldn’t answer basic questions about flight procedures.
Caught on Arrival
The cabin crew notified aviation security, and officers met the plane when it landed in Jakarta.
Jakarta airport police confirmed that Nisya was not an employee and detained her immediately after arrival. A video of her being questioned and admitting what she had done was later shared online.
Investigators say Nisya had lied to her family after failing the hiring process and felt she couldn’t face disappointing them. She claimed she only wanted to avoid embarrassment — not cause trouble.
Police also learned she planned to change out of the fake uniform as soon as she arrived back home.
Online Reactions
The case sparked mixed reactions.
Some viewers were worried about security risks, while others compared it to cosplay and expressed sympathy, saying her deception came more from shame than criminal intent.
Authorities noted she went through normal passenger screening, and there was no indication she posed a safety threat.
