Aviation

British Airways pilot pulled out of cockpit by armed police because he was so drunk

A British Airways pilot was dramatically pulled from the cockpit of a plane by armed guards after appearing to be drunk onboard.

Julian Monaghan, 49, was reportedly four times over the alcohol limit when he boarded the plane. Cabin crew members, who noticed his inebriated state and smell, called 999 before the plane was able to take off from Gatwick Airport.

Police then boarded the plane and removed him in handcuffs from the flight. The BA flight 2063, which was bound for Mauritius, was delayed by over two hours

Monaghan who has served the airline for a number of years was found to have 86mg of alcohol per 100ml of his blood, according to Sussex Police. The drink driving limit is 80mg, which he was over, whilst for pilots, it is just 20mg.

A passenger told Daily Mail: “Police rushed on to the plane and headed straight for the cockpit. “The first officer was cuffed and led away. A number of passengers were open-mouthed.“It’s terrifying to think what might’ve happened.”

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Aviation

No More Jet Airways. Supreme Court Says “No Choice”, Orders Liquidation

Jet Airways was once one of India’s leading airlines, known for its service and extensive network. Founded in 1993, it served millions of passengers, connecting cities across India and international destinations.

However, since grounding its flights in April 2019, Jet Airways has struggled to navigate financial turbulence, leading to years of efforts to revive the airline and return it to the skies.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ordered the liquidation of Jet Airways, citing “no choice” but to take this decisive step after the resolution plan failed to meet creditor obligations. The court invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142, which allows it to make orders for “complete justice” in any case, overriding previous tribunal rulings.

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The Jalan-Kalrock Consortium (JKC), which had won the bid to revive Jet, faced criticism for not fulfilling payment commitments to creditors, which included major banks like the State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank.

The Supreme Court’s ruling pointed to “peculiar and alarming” issues surrounding the resolution plan’s implementation, leading to its conclusion that liquidation was the only feasible outcome.

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Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized that while liquidation should be a last resort, it was necessary as the resolution plan was “no longer capable of implementation.”

In line with this decision, the court ordered that the ₹200 crore already infused by JKC be forfeited and directed the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in Mumbai to appoint a liquidator to oversee the process.

JKC, a partnership between Murari Jalan, a UAE-based Indian entrepreneur, and Florian Fritsch, a Jet shareholder through Kalrock Capital Partners Limited, had taken ownership of Jet Airways two years after it was grounded. The consortium’s inability to fulfill its financial obligations has now led to this final verdict, marking the end of an era for Jet Airways in India.