A passenger has claimed Singapore Airlines staff lied about a pilot who failed an alcohol test on the morning of an international flight.
The airline was forced to cancel the flight from Melbourne to Wellington in New Zealand on Saturday about 6am.
A passenger, who had travelled all the way from Japan to watch the All Blacks game, vented his frustration and said staff lied about what was wrong with the captain.
A pilot from Singapore Airline (stock image) has been stood down after he allegedly failed an alcohol test on the morning of flying an international flight
‘All the communication was that the pilot was ‘sick’ or ‘not in the condition to fly’,’ Muteki told news.com.au.
‘Later, when I spoke to airline staff, they told me the pilot had eaten something bad…That was a clear lie.’
Muteki had initially slammed the airline for the carelessness of the pilot.
‘Care to try to explain why your captain (ie most experienced person on the aircraft) of SQ247 waits until boarding time to decide they’re too ill/drunk to fly? Will miss the the All Blacks rugby match I bought tickets for,’ he tweeted.
‘The pilot in question did not pass the test due to having a higher than suitable blood alcohol limit’ (stock image)
A spokesman for Singapore Airlines confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they had cancelled the flight due to an ‘operating crew member being deemed unfit to fly’.
‘The Civil Aviation Safety Authority officials undertook a random drug and alcohol test of all crew prior to them starting their pre-flight checks,’ he said.
‘The pilot in question did not pass the test due to having a higher than suitable blood alcohol limit.’
The pilot had flown in from Singapore and had a day or two layover in Melbourne prior to the scheduled flight, according to Stuff.
He was stood down, suspended from all duties and has since returned to Singapore, where a full investigation will take place.
‘We will also work closely with the Australian and Singaporean authorities to ensure they are supplied the information they require,’ the spokesman said.
The flight from Melbourne (pictured) to Wellington and its return flight were cancelled at the last minute on Saturday
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Civil Aviation Safety Authority for further comment.
Stranded passengers took to social media to express their anger.
Some were flying to Wellington for the All Blacks rugby union Test match against South Africa, including one disappointed fan who had travelled from Tokyo.
One person said: ‘At least he didn’t fly! Better to be down here wishing you were up there, than being up there wishing you were down here.’
Another stranded passenger added: ‘Terrible service on your cancelled Melbourne to Wellington flight this morning. No options given to stranded customers except to call your useless booking line! Hotel fees and taxi fares all lost not to mention a day of holiday. Appalling service.’
Another said they were stranded at Melbourne Airport for six hours.
An All Blacks fan had travelled from Japan for the international match in Wellington, which he missed due to cancellation of his flight
Singapore Airlines apologised for the inconvenience caused.
‘We sincerely apologise to those affected by the cancellation of these flights. However, the safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority,’ the spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We have worked with customers whose travel was inconvenienced to find suitable alternate travel arrangements as quickly as possible.’