Two flight attendants were removed from Delta’s flight 49 from Amsterdam to New York JFK on Friday after failing a random breathalyzer test.
Since the airline normally operates the flight with more than the legal minimum required complement of cabin crew, they opted to fly as normal while offering more limited service.
According to a Delta Air Lines spokesperson,
Delta’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry, and we have zero tolerance for violation.
The employees were removed from their scheduled duties and the flight departed as scheduled.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency mandates random alcohol testing for flight and cabin crew operating out of EU member states under regulation 2018/1042.
At Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the Dutch National Police Unit conducts routine and random alcohol checks on flight personnel.
For instance, last month a pilot and a flight attendant from the same flight tested positive for excessive alcohol levels during a random check at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
The pilot’s blood alcohol concentration was more than double the legal limit, resulting in a €2,900 fine and a delayed flight.
Flight attendants are subject to random alcohol testing in the U.S. as well, with the FAA mandating that air carriers implement random alcohol testing programs.
Notably, though, flight attendants departing from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport are subject to a legal blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% under EASA rules while the legal blood alcohol concentration in the U.S. would have been 0.04%.
