A United Airlines pilot was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for showing up drunk, resulting in the cancellation of a flight to Washington D.C. with 267 passengers on board.

The 63-year-old pilot was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.59mg/l and 0.56mg/l, which is six times the limit for flight crew in France. He claimed to have only consumed two glasses of wine the night before, but the judge dismissed his statement and emphasized the potential risk he had put the passengers in.

Consequently, the pilot received a six-month suspended prison term and a nearly $5,000 fine, along with the suspension of his pilot's license for one year. United Airlines expressed their commitment to prioritizing the safety of their customers and crew, highlighting their strict no-tolerance policy for alcohol.

This incident follows a similar occurrence involving a Delta Airlines pilot last month in Edinburgh, Scotland. In response, United Airlines has updated its policy to require pilots to abstain from alcohol for at least 12 hours before their flights.