Pilots grounded over claims of drinking before take-off

Two arrested at Glasgow Airport ahead of morning flight to the US

AIRLINE bosses have grounded two pilots arrested over claims they wereabouttoflyaplanefromGlasgow to New York while under the influence of alcohol.

The men, aged 35 and 45, were held shortly before the United Airlines UA162 flight was due to depart at 9am on Saturday.

The pair, understood to be US citizens, are expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court today.

A spokesman for United Airlines said the pilots had been removed from service and their flying duties.

He added: “We are co-operating with the authorities and will conduct our own investigation as well.

“The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority.”

Police were called after members of the United Airlines crew were stopped at a staff check-in area as they arrived at Glasgow to join the scheduled 9am flight to Newark, New Jersey.

Two pilots, described as first officers with the US airline, were taken to Govan police station and detained ahead of their court appearance.

The Newark flight, carrying 141 passengers, eventually took off at around 6.30pm on Saturday with a new crew on board.

Police Scotland said: “We can confirm two men, aged 35 and 45, have been arrested and are presently detained in police custody in connection with alleged offences under the Railway and Transport Safety Act (2003) Section 93.”

This section of the Act governs “carrying out pilot function or activity while exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol”.

United Airlines said its staff at Glasgow Airport provided customers with support, including meal vouchers and hotel accommodation, where required during Saturday’s incident.

A spokesman added: “We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused.”

A Glasgow Airport spokesman said: “We are aware of the police incident involving two pilots.”

The incident follows the appear- ance in court last month of two Canadian pilots charged with being under the influence of alcohol as they prepared to fly a passenger jet from Scotland to Toronto.

Jean-Francois Perreault, 39, and Imran Zafar Syed, 37, were arrested on July 18 before they were due to take off on the seven-hour Air Transat flight from Glasgow.

The men were remanded in custody when they first appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court, also charged under section 93 of the same Act.

At a second hearing at the same court, they were granted bail on condition they surrender their passports.

Section 93 of the Railway and Transport Safety Act states: “A person commits an offence if he performsanaviationfunctionata time when the proportion of alcohol in his breath, blood or urine exceeds the prescribed limit, or he carries out an activity which is ancillary to an aviation function at a time when the proportion of alcohol in his breath, blood or urine exceeds the prescribed limit.”

For pilots, the limit of alcohol in the case of breath is nine microgrammes per 100 millilitres, according to the Act.

The drink-fly limit is significantly lower than the Scottish drink-drive limit of 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

In relation to Saturday’s incident, the two air crew are designated first officers – a rank which means they are co-pilots.

‘‘ We are co-operating with the authorities… The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority