Prague/Ottawa, Jan 2 (CTK) – A Slovak aircraft captain working for a Czech airline, the Travel Service, was so drunk before a flight that he lost consciousness in the cockpit in Canada on December 31, Travel Service spokeswoman Vladimira Dufkova told iDnes.cz news server yesterday.
The incident occurred on a flight from Calgary, Canada, to Cancun, Mexico, operated by the Canadian low-cost airliner Sunwings. Six members of the crew and 99 passengers were aboard at the time. During winter, Sunwings rents some aircraft along with the crew from Travel Service.
Dufkova said the captain alone is to blame for the incident.
“Such behaviour of a pilot is absolutely unacceptable, against the strict rules and standards of our company, she told iDnes.cz, which is the website of the Czech daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD).
Dufkova said the captain was immediately sacked from work.
Calgary police spokesman Paul Stacey told Canadian CBC Television that the Slovak pilot was prosecuted over his drunkenness. He said there would have been little chance of a drunk pilot taking off with a plane because there are many checks at the airport.
