A pilot was pulled off a flight with 274 passengers moments before takeoff because he failed a breathalyzer test.
A flight on Sri Lanka’s national airline going from Frankfurt, Germany, to Columbo, Sri Lanka, was delayed for 15 hours Friday. The crew noticed the pilot was “visibly” drunk and raised concerns, and the airline was forced to find another pilot, News 24 reported Sunday.
“Upon receiving the results [of the test] SriLankan Airlines took immediate steps to suspend the services of the captain and took alternative measures to operate the flight to Colombo,” SriLankan Airlines said in a statement.
There is now an investigation underway and the airline says it will comply with German investigators.
The airline plans on cutting its flights to Frankfurt Oct. 30 in a cost-cutting move, and flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Nov. 6. The only European flight it will have left will be to London Heathrow, Air Transport World reported in June.
News 24 reports the troubled airline has reported $1 billion in losses, and plans to lease some of its fleet of A330 Airbuses to other companies in an effort to raise money.
Last month, two Canadian pilots were pulled from an Air Transat flight after being found to be drun.
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