The chief executive of US Airways has completed a 24-hour jail sentence for a drunken driving arrest that occurred shortly after his airline’s $9.8 billion bid for Delta Air Lines was rejected, the Maricopa County sheriff said Monday.
Doug Parker left the Estrella Jail, which holds female inmates, in Phoenix at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that because of his high-profile status, Parker was put in a separate cell for his safety. Other than that, he was not treated any differently, Arpaio said.
Parker ate from the prison menu. His meals consisted of a bologna sandwich, a hot dog without a bun and cold vegetables. Water was the only drink served.
“It doesn’t matter what your position is. If you drink and drive, you’re going to be arrested and go to jail,” Arpaio said.
Parker pleaded guilty Feb. 20 in Scottsdale City Court to one DUI charge. Prosecutors asked that a second DUI charge and a speeding charge be dismissed.
Parker was pulled over the night of 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.
