Stunned plane passengers watched on agog as they realised a hotel guest stripping off at the bar in a five-star hotel was their pilot due to fly them home the next day. It’s reported the sozzled captain was seen naked and stumbling in a resort around 2.30am on the holiday island of Cape Verde.
The Sun reports the airman had been supposed to be at the controls of a plane taking holidaymakers home the next day but was grounded by bosses at Easyjet. According to the paper the incident unfolded on August 4 at the £1,569-a-week Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa.
Easyjet told Express.co.uk as soon as the firm was made aware “the pilot was immediately stood down from duty.”
Cape Verde has been dubbed the “new Canaries” because it’s relatively cheap hotels and prices. Temperatures on the sun-kissed island can hover around 30C for large parts of the year.
A source told The Sun: “This was breathtakingly unprofessional behaviour from the pilot. It was the height of stupidity. His career with EasyJet is doomed.”
The publication said the flight had been due to leave on August 6, just over 24 hours after the pilot was seen in a “paralytic” state by some of his soon-to-be passengers.
The grounded pilot should have been at the controls of the Easyjet flight which would have taken around six hours.
A source told the Sun: “Anyone who saw the pilot cavorting naked in the early hours on the day before a flight would not dream of getting on a plane with him at the controls.”
The source added that mistakes can be made but the actions of the “veteran captain beggars belief”.
An EasyJet spokesman told Express.co.uk: “As soon as we were made aware the pilot was immediately stood down from duty, in line with our procedures, pending an investigation.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.”