Japan Airlines pilot arrested in Britain for drinking before flight
- Driver of a crew bus at London’s Heathrow Airport called police after noticing the smell of alcohol on the co-pilot’s breath, according to JAL
Japan Airlines said on Thursday one of its pilots was arrested by British police for drinking alcohol before a flight from London to Tokyo, leaving the airline to operate the flight with two pilots rather than the usual three.
JAL said the level of alcohol in the 42-year-old co-pilot’s system sharply exceeded the legal limit in Britain after drinking two bottles of wine and five cans of beer for six hours from 6pm the night before the flight to Haneda airport.
JAL Flight 44’s departure from London at 7pm on Sunday local time was delayed by more than an hour.
The driver of a crew bus at Heathrow Airport noticed the smell of alcohol on the co-pilot’s breath and reported it to police, according to JAL.
The case came to light a day after All Nippon Airways apologised for five flight delays in Okinawa last week because a pilot was hung-over after a night of drinking.