The arrest of a Delta Air Lines pilot at Edinburgh Airport shortly before he was about to fly to New York in June raised eyebrows among the flying public.
Lawrence Russell Jr., of Georgia, was arrested on charges under the U.K.’s Railways and Transport Safety Act of 2003, which declares a pilot unfit for duty when impaired by alcohol or drugs. The law sets a maximum allowable blood-alcohol limit at 0.02%, among other regulations. That’s lower than the 0.08% level that makes it illegal to drive in the U.S.
According to U.K. law, those found guilty can face penalties including a fine and up to two years in prison.
