A pilot was prevented from flying an Indian Airlines Airbus A320 from Sharjah after he was found to be drunk.
The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) in Sharjah prohibited the Indian pilot from flying to India after tests revealed an elevated level of alcohol in his blood.
The CAD told Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National, airport inspectors complained about the pilot's reflexes and alertness and referred him for examination.
It was revealed he had consumed alcohol the previous night. He was prevented from flying and replaced by another pilot.
The flight 934 had 120 passengers. The CAD notified Indian Airlines asking for the pilot to be substituted. Another pilot was sent an hour and a half later and the plane was allowed to take off and later landed safely at its destination.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
