UPDATE: Delta Airlines Crew Member Arrested Before Take-Off

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 20 at 3: 53 pm

Last week it was reported that a Delta Airlines crew member was arrested just before take-off, further information has now revealed that it was in fact the pilot of the aircraft.

The incident occurred on Friday, June 16, when the unnamed 61-year-old pilot was arrested for being over the alcohol limit, according to the New York Post.

Passengers had already boarded the flight from Edinburgh to New York when the pilot was taken into custody after being found in contravention of the alcohol limits set for flight crew.

According to the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, the limit for air crew and air traffic controllers is 20 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

By way of comparison, the limit for road drivers in Scotland is 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, while in England it is set at 80 milligrammes.

An industry insider commented that the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of being ‘over the prescribed limit’ is a two-year jail sentence.

Saturday, June 17 at 6:08 pm

A Delta Airline flight had to be cancelled yesterday in a rare incident when one of its crew members was arrested.

On Friday, June 16, scheduled Flight DL209 from Edinburgh to New York JFK never got off the ground amid reports that an unnamed member of the Delta Airline crew was detained by police, according to Edinburgh Live.

It is unclear at this time whether the role held by the arrested 61-year-old is flight crew or cabin crew, and as yet the full reasons for the arrest have not been made known.

Allegedly the incident happened just 30 minutes prior to take-off, which led the flight to be cancelled, and travellers had to be re-accommodated by the airline.

An official statement from Delta Airlines confirmed that one of its employees was taken into custody at the airport this morning and assured that they are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the matter.

Delta Airlines Official Statement

A Delta Airlines spokesperson said: ‘Delta confirms that one of its crew was taken into custody this morning at EDI Airport. Delta is assisting the authorities with their ongoing enquiries.’

The message concluded: ‘Delta’s EDI-JFK flight (June 16) has been cancelled and customers are being re-accommodated. We apologise to customers impacted by this cancellation.’

Speculation about the nature of the incident remains, although local reports indicate that a man was detained ‘in connection with the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.’  This covers many aspects including the use of alcohol and drugs.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: ‘Around 10 am on Friday, 16 June, a 61-year-old man was arrested at Edinburgh airport in connection with the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.

‘The man was subsequently charged and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday 19 June, 2023. A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.’

Delta is one of America’s leading airlines, and was founded in 1925, making it one of the world’s oldest airlines still in operation today.