A British Airways pilot was hauled out of the cockpit by armed police and charged with being more than four times the legal drink-fly limit.
Julian Monaghan, 49, was meant to be piloting a Boeing 777 from Gatwick to Mauritius, which would have taken 12 hours.
But his colleagues called 999 before the aircraft could leave the departure gate on January 18.
Monaghan, a British Airways first officer who has been with the company since 2001, was arrested and removed from the plane in handcuffs.
The departure was then delayed by more than two and a half hours while a replacement pilot could be found.
Sussex Police said Monaghan has been charged with being over the alcohol limit on board an aircraft.
Monaghan was found to have 86mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system. The legal drink-drive is 80mg, but for pilots, the limit is 20mg.
A passenger who witnessed the incident onboard said: “Police rushed on to the plane and headed straight for the cockpit.
“The first officer was cuffed and led away. A number of passengers were open-mouthed.
“It’s terrifying to think what might’ve happened.”
A British Airways spokesperson said: “Julian Monaghan no longer works for the airline.
“We have taken this matter extremely seriously and will continue to assist the police with their inquiries.
“The safety and security of our customers and crew are always our top priority.”
Monaghan, who spends time in South Africa and Harmondsworth, West London, is due to appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court, Sussex, on June 6, but has not been asked to enter a plea.
(Mail)