An airline pilot has been handed a one year suspended sentence after being found to be six times over the legal alcohol limit.

The 63-year-old United Airlines pilot was taken off a Boeing 777 by French police and taken into custody after failing the alcohol breathalyzer test.

Police said they found the American pilot with a ‘pasty mouth, glassy eyes and difficulties in expressing himself’.

A blood test revealed he had 0.59mg/l and 0.56mg/l of alcohol in his system, which is six times the limit for flight crew in France.

He was due to captain flight UA331 to Washington DC, but he was arrested just one hour before take off.

The flight had to be cancelled last minute.

Judges said they doubted the pilot’s claim he had just two glasses of wine before his arrest.

He was fined €4,500 and banned from flying to and from France for one year.

United Airlines told PYOK: ‘The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority.

‘We hold all our employees to the highest standards and have a strict no-tolerance policy for alcohol.

‘This employee was immediately removed from service, and we are fully cooperating with local authorities.’

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