A British Airways pilot was prevented from operating the BA plane a few minutes before its takeoff on suspicion that he was drunk.

Reports say one of the crew members had smelt alcohol in the cockpit and informed the police, who swiftly went to the Boeing 777 and remove from the 49-year-old pilot, preventing risking the lives of many people who had boarded the plane on Thursday at Gatwick Airport in London.

According to CNN, the pilot was arrested and remained in police custody as of Friday night.

The incident delayed the plane`s departure for 2 hours for its UK to Mauritius.

A British Airways spokesman said the company was “taking the matter extremely seriously and are assisting the police with their inquiries.”

“We are sorry for the delay to our customers,” the spokesman said.

“The aircraft remained at the gate until an alternative third pilot joined the flight crew. The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority,” he added.