Pilots arrested in Scotland on intoxication charges

Two pilots for United Airlines were arrested under allegations that they were intoxicated as they were about to fly to the US, police said on Sunday. The men were detained at Glasgow airport on Saturday shortly before the flight was due to take off to Newark Airport in New Jersey.

"Two men aged 35 and 45 have been arrested and are presently detained in police custody," said a spokesman for Police Scotland. They are expected to appear at an initial hearing in Paisley, near Glasgow, on Monday.

United Airlines added that "the two pilots have been removed from service and their flying duties."

The flight carrying 141 passengers eventually took off from Glasgow later on Saturday with a different crew.

The incident comes just over a month after two Canadian pilots were also arrested for being drunk in the cockpit at Glasgow Airport before they were scheduled to fly an Airbus A310, which can carry up to 250 passengers, to Toronto for Canada's Air Transat.

Jean-Francois Perreault, 39, and Imran Zafar Syed, 37, are also facing charges of threatening or abusive behavior. The pair were released on bail pending trial.

es/kl (AFP, Reuters)