Virgin Alantic Pilot held over drink claim

Four hundred passengers have been stranded in the United States after an airline pilot was detained by police on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol.

The pilot, believed to be British, was due to fly Virgin Atlantic service VS 022 from Washington DC to Heathrow on Friday evening.

The 383 passengers on the flight were sent to hotels, but the jet is due to fly out at 18.15 local time on Saturday night (1115 GMT), arriving on Sunday morning.

A spokeswoman for Dulles airport in Washington said security officials alerted a Virgin supervisor having observed the captain passing through the ticket counter area.

The pilot, who has not been named, is being held at Dulles airport while police continue their investigations.

Virgin Atlantic told the BBC it operated a strict no-alcohol policy and an internal inquiry was being started.

Virgin Atlantic’s US spokesman, John Riordan, told BBC News security staff at the airport had raised the alarm following concern about the pilot’s behaviour.

Safety

He was escorted off the plane by airport police.

Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Moore said: “The safety and security of our passengers at Virgin Atlantic is our paramount priority.”

He could not confirm the pilot was British but said 90% were from the UK.