Pakistan pilot admits being drunk after UK plane arrest

Published September 20, 2013
-File Photo
-File Photo

LONDON: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilot pleaded guilty on Friday to being drunk just before he was due to fly to Pakistan, court officials and media said.

Irfan Faiz, 54, was more than four times the legal alcohol limit when he was arrested in the cockpit of a plane at Leeds Bradford airport in northern England, according to media reports of a court hearing.

An official at Leeds Magistrates Court confirmed to AFP that Faiz, a Pakistani national, had pleaded guilty at the hearing and his case was referred to a higher court for sentencing on October 18.

He was arrested shortly after 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Wednesday and charged with “carrying out an activity ancillary to an aviation function while impaired by drink”, police said.

The court heard that Faiz had been unsteady on his feet before the flight and also smelled of alcohol, according to the BBC and local newspaper the Yorkshire Post.

A spokesman for PIA, Pakistan's national carrier, had told AFP on Thursday that if convicted, Faiz would be sacked.

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
Updated 22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

It would be a monumental mistake for the state to continue ignoring the violence in Kurram.
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

An audit of polio funds at federal and provincial levels is sorely needed, with obstacles hindering eradication efforts targeted.
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...