A "highly intoxicated" pilot was removed from the cockpit of a flight, leaving more than 100 passengers stranded at Stuttgart airport.

Shortly before the TAP Air Portugal flight was due to take off to Lisbon on Friday night, an airport employee noticed the man walking unsteadily and smelt of alcohol.

He notified airport authorities, who decided to keep the plane on the ground.

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The airline has since apologised for having to cancel the flight “due to the pilot’s incapacity”.

Police found the 40-year-old co-pilot in a “highly intoxicated condition” when they entered the cockpit on Friday evening, according to The Guardian.

The man’s co-pilot flying licence was immediately suspended by local prosecutors, and bail was fixed at €10,000 (£9,000).

German news agency DPA reported that all 106 passengers were put up at hotels overnight.

TAP tweeted that the passengers would only be able to fly to Lisbon on Monday, "which is, at the moment, the first day with seats available".

The airline also stated it would “go through an internal investigation process and act accordingly, taking the necessary and consequent measures”.