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Two Air Transat Pilots Arrested on Suspicion of Being Drunk

Two Air Transat pilots were arrested on suspicion of being over the alcohol limit before flying from Glasgow to Toronto, police said.
Image: An Air Transat Airbus A310 jetliner
An Air Transat Airbus A310 jetliner.LARRY MACDOUGAL / THE CANADIAN PRESS

LONDON — Two pilots due to fly a passenger jet across the Atlantic were arrested hours before takeoff on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol, officials said Tuesday.

Image: An Air Transat Airbus A310 jetliner
An Air Transat Airbus A310 jetliner.LARRY MACDOUGAL / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Police and the airline confirmed that the duo were pilots of Air Transat flight TS725 that was set to take off from the Scottish city of Glasgow to Toronto on Monday afternoon.

The pair, aged 39 and 37, were arrested that morning "in relation to being allegedly impaired through alcohol," according to a statement from Police Scotland. Local media said they were expected in court Tuesday.

Air Transat confirmed the arrests but declined to comment until "the results of the investigation and judicial proceedings" were released. The Canadian airline added in a statement: "The safety of our crews and passengers is, and will remain, a top priority at Air Transat."

Flight tracking websites showed the Airbus A310 — which has a capacity of around 230 economy seats — did not depart until Tuesday and several passengers took to Twitter to vent their anger at the delay.