Delta pilot found drunk before transatlantic flight sentenced to 10 months prison

On June 16, 2023, Lawrence B. Russell Jr., a 63-year-old pilot for Delta Airlines, was stopped at Edinburgh Airport before boarding a flight to New York's JFK airport. Security checks revealed that he had a bottle of Jägermeister in his carry-on luggage. Wearing his pilot's uniform and a Delta Airlines lanyard, Russell was charged with jeopardizing "hundreds of lives" by showing "reckless disregard" for safety. He admitted to reporting for duty while under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the cancellation of the transatlantic flight and the loss of his job at Delta. Delta apologized to the affected travelers.