Lawrence Russell, 63, has gone on trial in Scotland after pleading guilty to a charge of impairing a pilot's duty by exceeding the prescribed blood alcohol limit.
During a bag search at Edinburgh Airport on the morning of June 16, 2023, two bottles of whisky, one empty, were found in Russell's hand luggage and the flight he was due to pilot was canceled. The pilot said he had not been drunk recently but had been drinking the previous evening.
The pilot was detained by law enforcement at the airport and his job was terminated. After completing his prison sentence, Russell will have to reapply for an aviation medical certificate, and if accepted, he may be reinstated as a captain.
