A flight out of Dublin was stopped from taking off after inspectors carrying out random checks found one pilot with alcohol levels “considerably over” the limit.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) undertook a random inspection on 17 September 2024 at Dublin Airport, Ireland’s busiest airport which sees more than 30 million passengers pass through its hub annually.
The IAA inspectors boarded a cargo aircraft flown by an unnamed international cargo operator and sought a copy of the pilot licences and the aircraft's mandatory documents.
The inspectors then carried out a routine breathalyser test for alcohol, which revealed that one of the pilots had blood alcohol levels considerably over the prescribed limits.
The pilot was therefore “not in a fit condition to operate the aircraft,” the IAA said.
The inspectors then immediately instructed that the aircraft would not take off and directed that the pilot be removed from the cockpit and prevented from flying the plane.
The IAA issued proceedings in the Dublin District Court and reported the incident to the US Federal Aviation Administration, which has in turn said the pilot’s license has been revoked.
“The IAA will continue to conduct unannounced checks on foreign aircraft operating in Irish airports and conduct breathalyser tests on the flight crew, which includes pilots and cabin crew,” the authority added.
Flights can often be delayed or cancelled if members of the crew turn up to work with too much alcohol in their system, often leading to losing their jobs.
In January, a Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested in Georgia, US before flying to Chicago because he was intoxicated.
David Allsop, 52, was arrested at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport around 7am on 16 January and was charged with driving under the influence.
The pilot allegedly smelled of alcohol, with photos shared online showing cops removing Mr Allsop from the cockpit of the plane.
The flight later took off nearly five hours after its scheduled departure.
A similar incident occurred with two pilots who were due to operate a Japan Airlines flight to Melbourne, delaying the journey by over three hours in December 2024.
Two unnamed male captains had conducted self-administered breath tests at their hotel around 5am ahead of 7.20am flight, finding they both exceeded alcohol limits.
Captain A initially asked for a shift delay due to illness, while Captain B left for the airport.
Additional airport testing confirmed that Captain B had elevated alcohol levels, requiring multiple tests before a safe reading was finally obtained by 8.15am.
Japan Airlines told The Independent that the flight “was not operated with crew members under the influence of alcohol”.
“We take this incident very seriously and deeply regret that it occurred despite strict warnings. We will take thorough measures to prevent recurrence,” the airline added.
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