It is believed the two men failed breath tests before boarding a United Airlines flight from the Scottish airport to the US.
The two men, aged 61 and 45, were arrested by police on suspicion of being under the influence of drink or drugs, before they were due to fly to Newark in New Jersey.
The flight, number UA162 was due to leave at 9am but was cancelled after the pair’s arrest. Both men are pilots, a Police Scotland spokesman confirmed, and are due to appear in court on Tuesday.
The police spokesman said Police Scotland can confirm that two men aged 61 and 45 years old have been arrested and remanded in custody pending a scheduled court appearance on Tuesday August 6 on suspicion of offences under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, section 97.
The law covers offences where aviation staff are intoxicated by either alcohol or drugs, with punishments of up to two years in prison or a fine if found guilty.
The limit for alcohol in the breath for pilots specified as 9 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres, less than half the 22 microgrammes limit for drivers in Scotland.
A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said: This morning Police Scotland did attend before the United Airlines flight UA162, going to Newark.
In response to a question on Twitter about the flight cancellation, United Airlines wrote: ‘We regret that our flight for today from GLA to EWR, UA162, has been cancelled because of crew availability.’
A United Airlines spokesman said the safety of their customers and crew is always our top priority.
We hold all of our employees to the highest standards and have a strict, no tolerance policy for alcohol, he added.
These pilots were immediately removed from service and we are fully cooperating with local authorities. At this time, we are working to get our customers back on their journey as soon as possible.
Tourism Observer
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