United Airlines Pilots Arrested on Suspicion of Being Drunk

Two United Airlines pilots were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol in Scotland on Saturday as they were about to fly to the United States, police and the airline said. Their arrest comes just weeks after two Canadian pilots were charged with being drunk as they were about to fly a passenger jet from Glasgow to Toronto. They were charged with intoxication before they were set to fly an Air Transat plane with 345 passengers onboard to Toronto. They are expected to be charged under Scotland’s Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, Section 93, which relates to carrying out aviation-related functions while exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol. United Airlines added that "the two pilots have been removed from service and their flying duties." The flight carrying 141 passengers eventually took off from Glasgow later on Saturday with a different crew.  On July 18, two Canadian pilots were on arrested on similar charges at the Glasgow airport. Jean-Francois Perrault, 39, and Zafar Syed, 37, were also charged with alcohol impairment under the act. Police Scotland said the two men, aged 35 and 45 years, were detained under a section of the Railways and Transport Safety Act which covers carrying out pilot function or activity whilst exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol. The section relates to carrying out pilot function or activity while exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol. United Airlines said the pilots had been removed from service pending an investigation.