Drunk pilot sentenced to 10 months
A US pilot has been jailed in the UK for boarding a Newark-bound flight from Glasgow under the influence of excess alcohol.
Texan Carlos Roberto Licona, 45, was serving as First Officer on the United Airlines flight in August 2016 when he was taken off the plane.
Security staff acted after smelling alcohol on his breath, Paisley Sheriff Court heard.
Alcohol tests revealed he had more than seven times the allowed limit in his system.
Licona pleaded guilty to breaching the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. The sentence was reduced from 15 months because of Licona’s guilty plea.
The incident caused a delay of nine hours for passengers, many of whom had already taken their seats when Licona was hauled off the plane by police.
A spokesman for United Airlines said: "We hold all of our employees to the highest standards. This pilot was immediately removed from service and his flying duties in August 2016."
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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