Sharjah: An Air India pilot was arrested at Sharjah International Airport on Saturday for turning up drunk to operate a flight to Delhi via Kochi.
Flight AI 934, with 120 passengers, took off at 4.35pm, more than three hours past the scheduled time, after the company managed to find a replacement to fly the plane.
A Sharjah Civil aviation Department official told Gulf News that airport security suspected the pilot when he was waiting in the security check queue. He was then taken for a medical check up and his alcohol level was high when a breathalyser test was taken.
After the test, the pilot, who is registered and licensed in India, was found not fit to fly the aeroplane. The airport security reported the matter to the airline and he was replaced. The official said that the pilot had arrived in the UAE on Friday.
The official said the pilot violated air safety rules and action will be taken against him.
—With inputs from agencies
