A British Airways pilot had to be forced off a plane after brawling with police while she was allegedly drunk.

The suspended flyer was a passenger on the aircraft when she became "disruptive," which caused the captain to abandon takeoff.

The pilot was on a short-haul flight from Edinburgh to Heathrow where she was set to take the controls of another jet.

A source stated she acted "as if very drunk" and was recognised by aircraft staff.

"She was being abusive and incredibly belligerent to other passengers," they told The Sun.

"It got so heated that the flight-deck was informed, and the captain decided to eject her."

Police were called to meet the plane as it returned to the stand.

The source added: "She then began flailing her arms at officers as they tried to arrest her."

The flight eventually took off for Heathrow 90 minutes later

The flight took off an hour and a half later.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "A woman was arrested and charged in connection with aviation offences and assault."

British Airways stated: "It would be inappropriate to comment during a police investigation."

The airline operates roughly a dozen flights a day from Edinburgh to Heathrow.

British Airways said it will not comment on the matter while a police investigation ongoing

British Airways flies approximately 1.9million passengers out of Edinburgh Airport every year.

This accounts for about 10 per cent of the airline's scheduled seats at the airport.

In 2025, the airline will have nearly 20million available seats and remain the biggest airline out of London Heathrow Airport, with around 335 flights occurring daily from the base.

Edinburgh Airport is the busiest airport operating in Scotland, with passenger numbers exceeding 14.4million in 2023.