British Airways Pilots Fired for Pre-Flight Drinking

L O N D O N, Dec. 21 -- British Airways has fired two pilots and another has resigned after a television documentary showed them drinking heavily only hours before flying, a spokesman for the airline said today.

BA sacked first officers James Sharples and Mike Edwards and accepted the resignation of Chris Salmon, a captain, after a Channel 4 program showed secretly filmed footage of pilots engaged in heavy drinking sessions the night before flying.

Two more pilots received written warnings and a further four face disciplinary hearings, the results of which are due within weeks, the spokesman said.

Of the 11 pilots initially investigated, two were cleared of any misconduct, he added.

Eight cabin staff were also under investigation.

BA bans crew from taking any alcohol eight hours prior to flying and permits drinking in moderation — no more than five units of alcohol, or the equivalent of five small glasses of wine — in the 16 hours before that.

The Channel 4 investigation said BA flight crew operated in a dangerous culture of heavy drinking, particularly on short-haul European flights.

It said drinking was endemic among employees and those who complained were bullied and ostracized for blowing the whistle.

BA, which employs some 3,500 pilots, said it was exploring the possibility of random drugs and alcohol tests for its flight staff in line with practices among U.S. airlines.