The flight had to be cancelled and the pilot was suspended for a month.

The incident occurred on Saturday at 6 am.

A team of Jetlite doctors had conducted a breath analyser test on the pilot and found that he had a high quantity of alcohol in his blood. Jetlite officials remained tight-lipped about the extent of the content.

“We have suspended the pilot for a month,” said a senior official of the company. Despite several attempts, the Jetlite spokesperson could not be contacted for comment.

The pilot had reported on work early morning after a late night party, in which he had consumed liquor.

The flight to Patna was immediately cancelled, as the airline could not find a replacement for the junior captain.

There were 70 passengers on board. In the afternoon, some of them were accommodated on board an Indian Airlines flight to Patna. The others were put in the Jet Airways evening flight.

All officers working on a flight — pilots, commander, navigator engineer or other operating member of the crew — have to turn up sober for work.

Under Rule 161 Schedule VI of Indian Aircraft Rules 1937, consumption of alcoholic drinks, sedatives, narcotic or stimulant drugs are banned 12 hours before commencement of flights or in course of flight.

According to in-flight research, blood alcohol concentration of 40 milligrams per 100 millilitres, is associated with substantial errors. And the figure is irrespective of experience. Both inexperienced and highly experienced pilots have been found to commit costly errors.

This is not the first time, though, that airline crew and pilots have been found intoxicated while on duty.

An Air Deccan pilot was found inebriated on 12 April, 2006, by a DGCA team during a random test.

On October 12, 2007, a Kingfisher Airways pilot had been grounded for three months after being caught at IGI Airport.