‘I have the power to cancel flights’ – World Snooker Championship referee lifts lid on shock day job

SNOOKER referee Malgorzata Kanieska is more worried about 747s than 147s.

And although she can’t stop cuers eyeing a maximum break, she CAN halt queuers flying for a summer one.

Rex

Malgorzata Kanieska uses time off from her main job to be a snooker ref[/caption]

Getty

Kanieska is making her Crucible debut this year, including overseeing Chris Wakelin’s shock win over Neil Robertson[/caption]

The World Championship official’s day job is with Polish Airlines, where she has the power to “cancel flights”.

Having been a ref on the pro tour since 2010, her career in white gloves reached new heights to oversee Shaun Murphy‘s Tour Championship final win over Kyren Wilson in 2023, then she made her Crucible debut this month.

But looking over stars of the baize has nothing on her full-time profession of watching the sky in her home country.

Kanieska told ‘Framed: The Snooker Podcast’ all her time is taken up with her airline and her favourite sport.

She said: “When I did my first professional event, I was studying.

“Now I’m just working full-time and I take days off to go to tournaments, that’s the biggest change.”

Her main task with Polish Airlines is making sure their systems work as well as possible in “upcoming days”.

And as snooker legends like Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump battle under the intense spotlight of the Sheffield theatre, Kanieska then explained what real pressure is like – in the air.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

Alamy

The Pole revealed the huge responsibility she has with her airline[/caption]

She said: “There is a manager on duty but when you think about all the aircrafts coming in, [if] something happens you need to know how to make the network look the best, how to avoid delays, how to avoid over-bookings and how to find the best options for the flights to perform.

“I can cancel flights. When there is industrial action, or airports can be closed, all aircrafts can be damaged, I have the power to cancel flights.

“Luckily I do not contact passengers, so that makes it easier.”

Ironically, Kanieska’s love of snooker means she can never take a ‘break’.

She revealed: “I use all my days off for the tournament. As much as I like snooker, it’s not a holiday.”