He was arrested for trying to fly a plane allegedly under the influence of alcohol in a widely covered incident in Glasgow, Scotland, and now the Air Transat pilot is seeking disability pay.
Jean Francois-Perreault and his co-pilot
were both taken into custody last year for the same charges and even though Perreault was released on bail, as well as being on sick leave, he’s received no benefits.
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So Perreault is taking Blue Cross, his insurer, to court.
Perreault says he got a doctor’s note for trauma from his high-profile arrest immediately after being apprehended by authorities.
That note allowed him to go on sick leave and, upon arriving back in Canada, that leave was extended for a year.
He’s also had his pilot’s license suspended in conjunction with being put on leave.
Blue Cross is refusing to pay Perreault because he faces criminal charges, something the company says makes his claim invalid.
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Conversely, the pilot argues he hasn’t been convicted and never committed an offense.
The two cases could happen simultaneously as Blue Cross is yet to file a defense and Perreault awaits trial.
The Toronto-bound flight on July 19, 2016 was delayed 22 hours as the Air Transat pilots Perreault and Imran Zafar Syed were arrested under suspicion of being drunk and attempting to fly the passenger jet.
Both were charged under the Railway and Transportation Act in Glasgow before facing court there.
Passengers had been told there was an operational issue with the plane until they reached Toronto.
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