Somebody had to be first! I am glad it wasn't me. The headlines in all the press are dreadful, 'Drunk and Dragged out of the cockpit' is a woeful use of journalistic license.
What we don't know, is a lot. Was it an overnight, had "words" been previously exchanged? Did a passenger comment to a Flight Attendant that last night at their hotel they saw the crew at the bar and policy took on its own life?
It surprised me in a previous role as a Management pilot in a third level airline in NSW (here boy, here boy) that three Captains had fallen foul of the DAMP early on and that one, at the time of my briefing had failed Rehabilitation.
Rehab being total abstinence, active membership of AA and open and honest communication with friends and family regarding the pilots home life. And ongoing testing of liver glucose.
Probably good for all of us that a female has taken the first fall, in the press at least. A more gentle tone will ensue.
None of this pre-supposes that the Qantas Captain is guilty of anything bar signing on for her employer.
If, like me she is as pure as the driven snow at every sign on and this nonsense occurred. Including; a spurious alcohol reading on a device, I would welcome the time at home and not worry.