The company has suspended an easyJet pilot after accusations that he was found drunk and nude at a premium resort in Cape Verde. The experienced captain, whose name has not been made public, was supposed to fly a plane full of people back to the UK just over a day after the incident.
The pilot flew from the UK to the West African island on August 4 and stayed at the five-star Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa. Witnesses told The Sun that the pilot started drinking soon after he got there and kept going until late at night.
It is said that the event happened about 2:30 a.m. on August 5. Witnesses stated the pilot was “paralytic” and “reeked of alcohol” as he took off his clothing in the lobby and then went to a closed bar, the gym, and the spa.
On the afternoon of August 6, the pilot was supposed to fly from Cape Verde to London Gatwick. This is one of easyJet’s longest flights from England. But hotel guests who knew him apparently told the airline about his actions. The pilot was fired, and the flight left safely with a new crew.
The report’s sources called the pilot’s actions “breathtakingly unprofessional” and “the height of stupidity,” which means that his time with the airline is probably done. One source said, “Anyone who saw the pilot dancing naked in the early hours of the day before a flight would never think of getting on a plane with him at the controls.”
EasyJet acknowledged the pilot’s suspension and the start of an investigation in response to the claims. The airline said in a statement, “As soon as we found out, the pilot was promptly taken off duty, as is our policy, while an inquiry was going on. EasyJet’s first priority is the safety of its passengers and workers.
Even though the inquiry is still going on, there are very rigorous rules on how much alcohol pilots can drink. For example, in many places, including the UK Civil Aviation Authority, there is a “bottle-to-throttle” rule that says there must be a certain amount of time (usually eight hours) between drinking alcohol and flying an airplane. There is also a zero-tolerance policy for being under the influence. The supposed date of this event, just over 36 hours before his flight, would fall inside a crucial time frame for determining whether a pilot is fit to fly.
The airline hasn’t given any more information and hasn’t named the pilot.