Pilot of passenger jet arrested minutes before flying plane from Bristol to Ireland.

A pilot was arrested after failing a breath test minutes before he was due to fly a plane from Bristol to Ireland.

Worried airport staff called police when they saw the unnamed pilot walk through the passenger security gate rather than the designated crew entrance.

He was not wearing his pilot’s uniform and one source claimed he had gone to a hotel with a member of the cabin crew.

Police arrived at Bristol Airport about 5.30pm last night to breathalyse the pilot following the concerns about his fitness to fly.

Officers arrested him on suspicion of being over the alcohol limit when he failed the test.

The pilot was due to fly the 5.10pm Aer Lingus Regional ATR72 flight to Cork in Ireland with 24 passengers on board.

That afternoon he had been into Bristol city centre following a five or six-hour stopover in the city.

Passengers faced delays as the airline rushed to find another pilot and crew to fly the plane. It did not take off until 9.20pm.

They were told the delay was due to an ‘operational issue’.

A spokesman for Aer Arran, the Dublin-based company which runs the flights, said: ‘We are investigating. Safety is and always will be our utmost priority.

‘We are taking this matter very seriously and a thorough investigation has already started.

‘There are checks and systems in place and this particular pilot did not actually fly any aircraft.’

The spokesman could not comment on whether the pilot will face any disciplinary action.

Rob
:rolleyes: