Pilot fired in Indonesia after alleged attempt to fly drunk

JAKARTA, Indonesia – An Indonesian budget airline has fired a pilot who was suspected of trying to fly a plane while he was drunk.

Citilink President Director Albert Burhan also announced Friday that he and the production director would resign over the impropriety. Citilink is a subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

On Wednesday, pilot Tekad Purna was preparing to fly an Airbus A320 from Surabaya to the capital, Jakarta, when passengers because suspicious of the slurred words and unclear announcements from the cockpit. Some of them left the plane and asked for a replacement of the pilot they believed to be either drunk or under drug influence. A number of passengers reportedly decided to cancel their flights.

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