Caused Disturbance In Cabin Traveling As Passenger

British Airways suspended one of its pilots who was drunk while traveling as a passenger and caused a disruption in the cabin, with the captain returning to the departure gate at Edinburgh Airport (EDI/EGPH) and delaying the flight to London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) for more than 90 minutes.

Officers from Police Scotland arrested the 51-year-old pilot when she resisted them on the aircraft, and she has been restricted from duty as the airline and police investigate the incident.

The pilot has years of service flying the Boeing 787 and had been scheduled to operate a flight upon her arrival in London. Witnesses reported she appeared to be heavily intoxicated and was behaving aggressively toward other passengers.

After cabin crew reported the disturbance to the flight deck, the captain returned the aircraft to the gate prior to departure. When police boarded the aircraft, the woman became combative and authorities charged her with aviation-related offenses and assault.

British Airways confirmed the pilot was immediately suspended but cited the ongoing investigations as they declined any additional comment.

The flight, BA1457, did eventually depart with a replacement crew on the short-haul Airbus A319 after a lengthy delay of over 90 minutes.

Flight BA1457 is an important high-frequency shuttle service between Edinburgh and London, and with crew rotations often feeding into long-haul flights, any disruption can quickly impact scheduling.

As in the U.S., alcohol regulations are very strict in aviation with limits much lower than those for driving. Any violation of those limits will usually result in a suspension during an investigation.

Naturally, airlines are very concerned about such highly sensitive incidents due to their potential impact on passenger safety, operational reliability, and professional accountability.

FMI:  www.britishairways.com/