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Irfan Faiz, 55, was found to be over the legal alcohol level after undergoing a breath test during preflight checks in the cockpit of an Airbus at Leeds Bradford Airport.

He admitted at the time he had consumed three-quarters of a bottle of whiskey but claimed he was alright to fly because he had stopped drinking 12 hours from "bottle to throttle".

Guidance under Pakistan flight rules states this is an appropriate amount of time to leave between drinking and flying, regardless of how much alcohol is consumed, the court heard.

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He called retired PIA pilot Shahid Hussain into the witness box to explain that the rules in Pakistan are that there must be a 12-hour gap between ''bottle and throttle''.

Captain Hussain said the rule used to be only eight hours.

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