A British Airways pilot was taken off a plane on suspicion of being drunk, officials said, before the aircraft took off from London’s Gatwick Airport.
« A 49-year-old man from Harmondsworth, West Drayton in Hillingdon, was arrested on suspicion of performing an aviation function when the level of alcohol was over the prescribed limit, » the spokeswoman said.
The man was still in custody as of Friday night.
A British Airways spokesman said the airline was « taking this matter extremely seriously and are assisting the police with their inquiries. »
« We are sorry for the delay to our customers, » the spokesman said. « The aircraft remained at the gate until an alternative third pilot joined the flight crew. The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority. »
