Pilots remanded in custody 'for being under influence of alcohol' at Glasgow Airport

The two men were due to fly a passenger plane from Scotland to Canada 

Alexandra Sims
Tuesday 19 July 2016 16:31 BST
File image of an Air Transat A330-200 C-GTSI
File image of an Air Transat A330-200 C-GTSI

Two Canadian pilots arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol as they prepared to fly a passenger jet have been remanded in custody after appearing in court.

The Air Transat pilots were arrested for being “impaired through alcohol” before they were due to take off from Glasgow Airport at 1pm on Monday.

Jean-Francois Perreault, 39, and Imran Zafar Syed, 37, were due fly an Air Transat Airbus, holding 345 passengers and nine crew from Scotland to Toronto, Canada.

The flight was delayed until Tuesday morning, departing from Glasgow at 10:30am.

The two men were charged under section 93 of the Railway and Transport Safety Act, which covers alcohol and drug limits in aviation, when they appeared in private from custody at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Anyone convicted of an offence under the act can face up to two years in prison, a fine or both.

The Canadian airline confirmed the arrest of its employees, adding passengers put up in hotels as they waited for the flight to be rescheduled.

A spokesman said: "Air Transat has learned of the arrest on July 18 of two crew members assigned to its Glasgow-Toronto flight.

"We will await the results of the investigation and judicial proceedings before making any further comments. The safety of our crew and passengers is, and will remain, a top priority at Air Transat."

Additional reporting by Press Association

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