20/11/2003

BA pilots resign following drink allegations

Two BA pilots have resigned following allegations that they had been drinking prior to a flight.

Both pilots were suspended from flying duties while the allegations were investigated.

Captain William McAuliffe, 50, and Pilot David Ryan, 26, both of the flight crew were detained in Oslo airport last week before they boarded a plane bound for London.

A BA spokesperson confirmed that both pilots had tendered their resignations and they had been accepted. Investigations into allegations made against a third female member of the cabin crew are continuing.

When BA staff in Oslo reported the three crew were late for their duty shift they were detained by Norwegian airport police and the scheduled flight was cancelled. The passengers transferred to other services.

Norwegian police said that that the three crew concerned had failed a breathalyser test. They face the possibility of legal action being taken against them in Norway, but the results of blood tests have yet to be made known.

It was alleged that they were in breach of BA's rules about consumption of alcohol in moderation in the day before a flight. The airline has a strict policy of 'no alcohol' present in the blood when reporting for flight duty.

(SP)

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