Passengers stranded after pilot turns up to work drunk
While the chances of being pulled over by an RBT when you’re 40,000 feet in the air are pretty low, turning up to work intoxicated is still a big no-no in the aviation industry, which is why one TAP Air Portugal co-pilot is in quite a bit of hot water.
The 40-year-old was due to operate a TAP Air Portugal flight departing from Stuttgart, Germany, on Friday, but when crew noticed him appearing unsteady on his feet with a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, they had no choice but to ground the flight.
The 106 passengers due to travel have been left stranded by the incident, with airline saying the incident was, “due to operational issues”.
News.com.au reports the co-pilot’s licence was suspended immediately and he was arrested, with bail set at 10,000 euro ($A16,000).
Last minute accommodation was arranged by the airline for stranded passengers, but some have experience further delays and changes to replacement flights.
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