Southwest Airlines confirmed the pilot had been removed from duty and apologized to customers whose travel plans were disrupted.
The lawsuit alleges Southwest illegally operated chronically delayed flights and disrupted passengers' travel plans.
A Southwest Airlines pilot suspected of being drunk was removed from the cockpit and arrested just before takeoff Wednesday at a Georgia airport, according to airline officials and authorities in the state.
A Southwest Airlines flight was delayed multiple hours this week after a pilot was reportedly arrested and charged with DUI before takeoff in Georgia.
The pilot was reportedly removed from the cockpit prior to takeoff at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.
The pilot, a 52-year-old from Bedford who has been a licensed pilot since 2008, was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after he allegedly drunkenly reported to a flight assignment at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah, Georgia. Authorities said that the pilot reeked of alcohol when he showed up in the cockpit.
Passengers had boarded the Southwest Airlines flight from Savannah, Georgia, to Chicago on Wednesday when police took the pilot away in handcuffs. An incident report says police at the Savannah airport tracked down the 52-year-old pilot after someone reported he appeared to be under the influence during crew check-in.
David Paul Allsop, 52, of Bedford, New Hampshire, faces a DUI charge following his arrest at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, according to records from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Allsop has been a licensed pilot since 2008.
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