2 Delta Flight Attendants Pulled Off the Job After Failing Key Pre-Flight Test

Two Delta flight attendants were kicked off their route after failing a breathalyzer test and being deemed too drunk to fly, The New York Post reported. One of the celebratory stewards blew over seven times the legal limit. In fact, three out of 445 flight attendants failed a routine breathalyzer administered at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport before a flight to New York’s JFK, but only two were expelled from the flight.

The first blew 0.024, just over the legal limit of 0.002, and was fined $290. The second blew an astonishing 0.143, which is seven times over the legal limit for flight crews and almost double what is allowed for American drivers. They were slapped with a fine of $1,900, the highest possible fine. The third flight attendant, who worked for an unnamed Dutch airline, was also fined $1,900 after blowing significantly above the legal limit, though that number was not specified.

The incident did not affect the flight's departure. “Delta’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have zero tolerance for violation,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The employees were removed from their scheduled duties and the flight departed as scheduled.”

The Netherlands has stringent rules regarding flight crews consuming alcohol. While America’s Federal Aviation Administration demands a gap of at least eight hours between drinking and flying, in the Netherlands crews are prohibited from drinking within 10 hours of a flight.