NEW YORK POST
A veteran Delta pilot allegedly showed up drunk for a flight from Scotland to New York City – and was arrested after passengers were already onboard.
Flight DL209 was canceled at the last minute Friday when the unnamed 61-year-old pilot was arrested at Edinburgh Airport, the Herald Scotsman reported.
The pilot was charged under the UK’s Railways and Transport Safety Act of 2003, which imposes limits on alcohol consumption for crew members.
The legal blood-alcohol limit for airline staff is 20 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. For drivers in Scotland, it is 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood.
“Delta confirms that one of its crew was taken into custody [Friday] morning at EDI Airport,” an airline spokesperson told media in a statement.
“Delta is assisting the authorities with their on-going inquiries. Delta’s EDI-JFK flight (June 16) has been canceled, and customers are being re-accommodated. We apologize to customers impacted by this cancellation,” the rep added.
In a statement to Insider, Delta said the company’s “alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have no tolerance for violation.”
The pilot was scheduled to appear Monday at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court, according to the Herald Scotsman.
The Post has reached out to Delta for comment.
