London - An apparently drunken airline pilot was arrested shortly before takeoff of a trans-Atlantic flight from London's Heathrow Airport, Scotland Yard said.

The pilot, 51, was taken into custody Monday on suspicion of intoxication before the planned departure of a United Airlines flight to Chicago with 135 passengers and crew, it said Tuesday.

Passengers were rebooked on other flights. A Heathrow spokesman said United Airlines employees had reported the pilot's condition to police.

The incident is under investigation, a United Airlines spokeswoman said. (dpa)