US Airways chief sentenced for DUI

The chief executive of US Airways will spend one day in jail for his drunken driving arrest shortly after his airline's $9.8 billion bid for Delta Air Lines was rejected.

Doug Parker, 45, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in Scottsdale City Court to one DUI charge, according to the court clerk's office.

Prosecutors asked that a second DUI charge and a speeding charge be dismissed.

Municipal Court Judge Joseph Olcavage ordered Parker to spend 24 hours in jail on March 15. Olcavage also fined Parker $1,646.25 and ordered him to be screened by a doctor to determine if he has a problem with alcohol addiction.

Parker was pulled over at about 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 after leaving a party at the FBR Open golf tournament in Scottsdale. That morning, US Airways Group Inc. dropped its hostile bid for Delta after courting the Atlanta-based carrier for three months.

Delta's management and pilots union had been critical of the offer. And its official creditors committee supported Delta's plan to emerge from bankruptcy as a standalone carrier.

US Airways acknowledged Parker's sentence in a statement to employees Tuesday: "Doug knows he made a serious mistake and has apologized for his actions. He plans to adhere to all of the court-directed repercussions and restitutions that come about from this charge."

Police had spotted Parker driving 20 mph over the posted 45 mph speed limit in his black BMW.

According to a police report, officers noticed that Parker had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and alcohol on his breath. The CEO refused to take a breathalyzer test.

Police gave him roadside sobriety tests, then took Parker to a DUI task force post for booking and to have blood drawn for an alcohol-level test.

His blood-alcohol level was found to be 0.096. The legal limit in Arizona is 0.08.

Police called a taxi for him and had his car towed.