106 Passengers Stranded in Germany Due to Drunken Co-pilot

A TAP Portugal Airbus A319 in 2009 in Geneva Airport, Switzerland. Photo: Brian / Wikimedia Commons
A TAP Portugal Airbus A319 in 2009 in Geneva Airport, Switzerland. Photo: Brian / Wikimedia Commons

BERLIN — A Portuguese airline has apologized for keeping more than 100 passengers stranded at Stuttgart airport in southwestern Germany after one of its flights was canceled last-minute because of a drunken co-pilot.

Shortly before the TAP Air Portugal flight was to takeoff to Lisbon on Friday night, an airport employee noticed the co-pilot walking unsteadily and smelling of alcohol. He notified airport authorities, which decided to keep the plane on the ground. It wasn’t immediately clear if the 40-year-old co-pilot was detained.

The German news agency dpa reported Saturday that all 106 passengers were put up at hotels overnight. TAP tweeted Saturday that the passengers would only be able to fly to Lisbon on Monday, “which is, at the moment, the first day with seats available.”