A drunk easyJet pilot stripped naked at a hotel bar in Cape Verde hours before he was due to fly passengers back to the UK.
Witnesses say they saw the captain naked at 2:30am at the five-star Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa after a drinking binge.
The pilot, who had flown tourists from the UK to the West African holiday island on August 4, was scheduled to fly back to Gatwick just over 24 hours later.
But his late-night antics saw him pulled from duty and replaced by another captain.
Guests reported seeing him slurring his words and reeking of alcohol as he wandered unclothed through reception, heading towards a closed bar before lurching towards the gym and spa area.
According to The Sun, another described the veteran captain as ‘paralytic’ and said they ‘wouldn’t have put him in charge of a toy aeroplane, never mind the real thing with hundreds of passengers’.
People who saw him recognised him and raised the alarm. Senior staff were said to be shocked but moved quickly to remove him from the roster for the return flight on August 6.
The airline confirmed he has been ‘stood down’ while an investigation is carried out.
He is said to have embarked on the drinking session after checking in at the £1,569-a-week hotel.
A source close to the company said: ‘We all make mistakes, but the level of stupidity on display here by a veteran captain beggars belief.’
An easyJet spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘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.’