106 passengers stranded in Germany due to drunk co-pilot on TAP Air Portugal flight

The co-pilot of a TAP Air Portugal flight bound for Lisbon was found smelling of alcohol.

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

A TAP Air Portugal plane was grounded after a co-pilot was found walking unsteadily and smelling of alcohol. (Flytap.com)

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.”