EasyJet has suspended one of its captains after he was reportedly seen roaming a luxury hotel drunk and naked in Cape Verde. The incident occurred on August 5, when the pilot, whose name has not been disclosed, was witnessed walking through common areas of the five-star Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa without any clothes on in the early hours of the morning. According to reports, the pilot had been drinking extensively in a bar the night before and was seen stripping off and wandering into the reception, gym, and spa.
“The pilot did not have a stitch on and reeked of alcohol,” an anonymous source inside the airline said. “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 pilot was scheduled to operate a return flight to Gatwick more than 36 hours later, but was grounded after the budget airline received complaints about the incident and a replacement pilot was found.
An EasyJet spokesman said the pilot now faces an investigation and that the safety of passengers and crew was its “highest priority”. “As soon as we were made aware, the pilot was immediately stood down from duty, in line with our procedures, pending an investigation,” the spokesman said. “The safety of our passengers and crew is EasyJet’s highest priority.”
The airline’s code of business ethics states that staff must behave “with integrity when dealing with our people, our customers, our partners and the communities within which we operate”. The incident has raised concerns about the behavior of pilots outside of work and the potential impact on safety.
This is not the first time a pilot has been involved in a similar incident. In June 2023, a Delta pilot showed up to work drunk and was scheduled to fly from Edinburgh to New York, resulting in a 10-month jail term. Japan Airlines has also faced issues with drunk pilots, including a recent incident where a captain displayed drunken behavior at a hotel, resulting in a police warning.
The incident highlights the importance of pilots maintaining a professional image and adhering to strict safety protocols, both on and off duty. EasyJet’s swift action in suspending the pilot and launching an investigation demonstrates its commitment to prioritizing passenger and crew safety.