19 Sep 2013

‘Drunk’ pilot charged after Leeds Bradford airport arrest

A Pakistan International Airlines pilot is charged with being drunk in charge of a plane, leaving 177 passengers stranded at Leeds Bradford airport.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 747-300 passenger plane makes its final approach for landing (G)

The captain was arrested on Wednesday night and is due to appear in court on Friday.

Irfan Faiz, 43, from Pakistan, was preparing to fly the delayed AK-776 flight from Leeds Bradford International airport to Islamabad when he was asked to take a breath test.

He was subsequently arrested at 10pm and has since been suspended by the airline pending further investigation, a PIA reservations agent told Channel 4 News.

The captain is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court on Friday charged with “carrying out an activity ancillary to an aviation function while impaired by drink”, said a West Yorkshire Police spokesman.

The flight in question had already been delayed for a few hours and was preparing to take off at the later time of 10.15pm when the pilot was taken away by police.

The 177 passengers were given the choice of going home or being put up in a hotel, and the flight finally set-off at 1pm on Thursday afternoon.

A PIA staff member told Channel 4 News that the captain involved was understood to have been with the airline for at least 20 years.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “An airline pilot is due to appear in court charged with an alcohol-related aviation offence.

“Irfan Faiz, aged 54, from Pakistan, is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court tomorrow charged with carrying out an activity ancillary to an aviation function while impaired by drink.”