Drunk Virgin Atlantic pilot ‘punched police officer in face’ hours after flying out of Heathrow

A SOZZLED Virgin Atlantic pilot allegedly punched a police officer in the face. Cops approached him after he was stumbling around and falling over in public in South Korea. A drunk Virgin Atlantic pilot allegedly punched a police officer in the face Credit: Getty The pilot was arrested and kept in ­custody, which led to flights being cancelled (stock image) Credit: Alamy He was said to be drunk hours after piloting a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Heathrow to Seoul with around 300 passengers and crew. The experienced £120,000-a-year flier is alleged to have swung at officers, and connected with one. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! He was arrested and kept in ­custody, which led to flights being cancelled. The pilot was suspended by furious Virgin bosses. A source said: “For a senior pilot to behave in this way is shocking. He has let himself and his company down. Officials in Seoul take a very dim view of public drunkenness. “And for this pilot to be stumbling around in a public place is inexcusable. “To make things a lot worse, officers approached him because he was stumbling around, and he ended up swinging a punch at one of them. Such idiotic behaviour has probably cost him his career.” The pilot remains grounded until the outcome of official proceedings, after which Virgin Atlantic will undertake its own probe. Most read in The Sun An airline spokesman said: “We can confirm a crew member was arrested in Seoul earlier this year. “We have taken appropriate steps in line with our policies, and we are providing ongoing support to the individual, who has since returned to the UK.”