Qantas is investigating an incident in which a captain was reportedly removed from a passenger aircraft moments before take-off because of suspicions she had been drinking.
Fairfax Media reports cabin crew removed the female captain from the plane just before it was due to depart from Sydney airport because they feared she had been drinking alcohol before the flight.
The incident is said to have occurred last Monday as the Qantas 767-300 aircraft was about to leave for Brisbane.
Fairfax says a replacement pilot was found to fly to Brisbane and the captain has since been withheld from operational duties on full pay.
A Qantas spokesman said this morning an investigation was underway.
Qantas later issued a statement saying one of its pilots had been "withheld from service ... for administrative reasons".
The matter was being investigated and further comment would be inappropriate, a spokesman said.
