Authorities say an airline pilot who seemed to smell like alcohol was making pre-flight checks in the cockpit when police arrested him on a DUI charge.

A Southwest Airlines pilot suspected of being drunk was removed from the cockpit and arrested just before takeoff Wednesday at a Georgia airport, according to airline officials and authorities in the state.

A Southwest Airlines pilot was removed from the cockpit ahead of a Wednesday flight from Georgia to Chicago and was booked on a charge of driving under the influence, a source familiar with the incident told CBS News.

The Transportation Department is stepping up enforcement of persistent flight delays with a civil lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and a fine against Frontier Airlines.

The DOT filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, citing a pattern of chronic delays, as the government pushes for stricter accountability.

DOT sues Southwest Airlines, accusing the airline of chronic flight delays while citing unrealistic scheduling that disrupted passengers.

A Southwest Airlines pilot has been arrested by airport police, accused of driving under the influence before a scheduled flight. The airline confirmed the pilot has been removed from duty. This incident comes as the Department of Transportation sues Southwest over persistent flight delays.

The U.S. Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines Wednesday alleging the company engaged in deceptive practices by offering flights it knew it could not make on time, according to federal court documents filed in the Northern District of California.