SIA cancels Wellington flight after pilot fails alcohol test

A Singapore Airlines flight to Wellington ahead of the All Blacks test was cancelled after a pilot failed an alcohol test. The flight from Melbourne was meant to arrive in Wellington at 12.20pm on Saturday. But SIA spokesman Karl Schubert confirmed the flight was abruptly cancelled after Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) officials undertook a random alcohol and drug test on crew. The pilot, who had flown in from Singapore, then had a day or two's layover in Melbourne, was about to start flying for the day but failed the alcohol test. He was stood down and suspended while an investigation was conducted. The incident meant the plane could not get to Wellington and its return flight to Melbourne was also cancelled. But the airline managed to find crew to run Sunday's flight to Singapore. This was the first time Schubert was aware of a Singapore Airline pilot failing an alcohol test.<br/>