SAS pilot arrested in Nice with cocaine in bloodstream
A pilot for Scandinavian airline SAS was arrested at Nice airport shortly after his aircraft landed from Copenhagen. A blood test revealed the presence of cocaine.
SAS pilot arrested in Nice with cocaine in bloodstream
A pilot for airline SAS was arrested at Nice airport on Wednesday, shortly after his aircraft landed from Copenhagen. A blood test carried out on the captain revealed the presence of cocaine, according to information from Aftonbladet.
The aircraft was subsequently due to depart for Stockholm-Arlanda with new passengers on board. This connecting flight was cancelled. The airline said it had rerouted some passengers the same day, whilst others were accommodated in hotels with meals provided before taking a flight the following day.
The pilot was tried the very next Thursday. Nice tribunal sentenced him to ten months in prison with a suspended sentence and a ban from flying over French territory for one year, according to regional newspaper Nice Matin.
For its part, SAS spokeswoman Alexandra Lindgren Kaoukji confirmed that a crew member had been declared "unfit to fly". She described the matter as a "personnel issue" and stated that the airline applied strict regulations regarding safety and anti-drug policy. "Any breach of these rules is treated with the utmost severity," she added.
Source: Aftonbladet