A Turkish Airlines flight from Brussels Airport to Istanbul was cancelled on Thursday, August 27th, after the airline alerted Belgian authorities that its co-pilot was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
The incident involved Turkish Airlines flight TK1938, scheduled to depart Brussels Airport at 11:10 local time on August 27 for Istanbul. The Airbus A321neo, registered TC-LTN, had more than 100 passengers on board.
According to Gazet van Antwerpen (GVA), the pilots arrived at the aircraft before departure when there was a suspicion that one of them had been drinking. The airport police were called, and the co-pilot underwent a breathalyser test, which returned a positive result.
The Federal Police confirmed the incident to GVA. “The aviation police carried out a breathalyser test on the co-pilot, which showed that he was intoxicated,” the Federal Police said, according to GVA.
The Directorate-General for Aviation and the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office were informed. The prosecutor’s office subsequently imposed a 24-hour flying ban on the co-pilot, while an official report is being prepared for the prosecutor.
The flight initially appeared as delayed on Brussels Airport’s flight information, but was subsequently marked as cancelled. Flight-tracking data shows TK1938, scheduled to operate from Brussels (BRU) to Istanbul (IST) with the Airbus A321-271NX TC-LTN, as cancelled.
The case will now be investigated by the public prosecutor’s office. According to information obtained by GVA, the co-pilot could potentially face criminal proceedings and a substantial fine. More importantly, the incident could have consequences for his pilot licence.
It is currently unclear how the affected passengers will be accommodated on alternative flights to Istanbul.