A British Airways stewardess was arrested by police after the fears were raised she was drunk and on drugs while the plane was in the air.
Officers from Sussex Police boarded the flight from Gran Canaria when it landed at Gatwick Airport on Thursday afternoon.
They were called by the pilot of the Airbus A320 while the plane was still 30,000ft in the air, with a source saying the woman was ‘in no fit state to work’.
It is reported the 41-year-old failed a breathalyser test after being confronted by police, while the plane was left standing on the remote stand for 45 minutes.
The pilot saw for himself that the crew member was in no fit state to work and engage with passengers.
‘Her job is to maintain the safety of the aircraft and its passengers, and she was not able to do this.
‘He radioed ahead calling for police to meet the aircraft.’
The publication reports the woman has since been ‘stood down’ from her job as stewardess while the police investigate what happened.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: ‘Officers arrested a 41-year-old woman at about 5.50pm on Thursday, January 26, on suspicion of performing an aviation function when over the prescribed limit for alcohol, contrary to the Railways and Transport Act 2003.
