Drunk pilot sent off from flight minutes before take-off

A QANTAS pilot was ejected from flight just minutes away from take off after cabin crew suspected she had been drinking.
The airline said the senior pilot was stooddown from operational duties on full pay, following the incident at Sydney Airport last Monday.
A Qantas spokesman said the airline couldn’t comment on the pilot’s identity or alcohol reading, but confirmed: “A Qantas captain was withheld from service this week for administrative reasons.”
“The matter is being investigated and it would be inappropriate to comment further,” he said.
The spokesman also confirmed the pilot was a woman but would not elaborate further, pending the investigation.
It is not known what reading the pilot gave, but Qantas, like all airlines, has a strict zero tolerance policy when it comes to pilots drinking alcohol before flying any aircraft.