Drunk pilot arrested at Heathrow

A United Airlines pilot was arrested at Heathrow airport on Monday, following a failed breath test, according to a report in the UK-based paper The Telegraph.

United Airlines Flight 949, bound for Chicago's O'Hare airport, was cancelled while the 51-year-old pilot was arrested and later released on bail.

A source told the paper the pilot had aroused suspicion when he arrived at Terminal 1 several hours before the flight.

According to the report, a member of the airline’s staff reported him to the authorities and following the breath test the pilot was later charged with being over the alcohol limit to fly a plane.

A spokeswoman for the airline said: “Safety is our highest priority and the pilot has been removed from service while we are cooperating with authorities and conducting a full investigation.”

The Telegraph reported that airline pilots face far stricter standards than drivers, with an alcohol limit of nine micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, compared to 35 for motorists in England.

This is the second time in the past six months that a pilot set to fly from London to Chicago has been arrested for being drunk.