The pilot was arrested in Sweden and later released from custody.
A Delta Air Lines pilot was arrested at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm after failing a breathalyzer test. However, the airline said in a statement to The Independent that no pilot intoxication occurred, and the pilot has been released from custody.
The incident occurred Tuesday on Delta Flight 205 from Stockholm to New York-JFK. The test, conducted onboard around 9:15 a.m. just before departure, was a random alcohol screening. After the pilot’s alcohol level exceeded the maximum limit set by European aviation authorities, the unidentified pilot was arrested, and the transatlantic flight was canceled.
Swedish law punishes offenders in such cases with up to six months in prison or a fine for a standard violation. If the alcohol level is significantly high, the penalty can be up to two years in jail. However, it doesn’t appear to be the case here, police told ABC News. Meanwhile, Delta said it is cooperating with authorities and apologized to customers for the disruption to their schedules.
Under European Union guidelines for flight cancellations, affected passengers may be entitled to €600 ($705) in compensation, along with assistance at the airport, including refreshments, accommodations, food, and transportation.
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This is not the first time a pilot has failed to meet the alcohol limit. In January, a Southwest pilot was arrested and removed from a plane for reporting to duty while intoxicated. A Transportation Security Administration officer notified law enforcement that the pilot appeared drunk in the security lane. Officers detained him during preflight checks; he failed the sobriety test and refused to take a blood test. He admitted to having light beers the night before and was taken into custody. Southwest promptly removed him from duty, and the Federal Aviation Administration revoked his license in March.
Another notable case occurred in 2023 when a Delta pilot, about to take charge of a flight from Edinburgh to New York, failed a breathalyzer test. Last year, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
Related: Drunk Delta Pilot Sentenced to 10 Months
Drinking and Flying Rules
When flying, the crew monitors pilots’ alcohol consumption and may cut them off before they become intoxicated. The threshold for pilots is much stricter for obvious reasons.
If a pilot’s breath alcohol concentration registers 0.04 percent or higher, they may be removed from duty. Studies show that pilot errors increase at or above 0.04 percent blood alcohol concentration, but even at 0.02 percent, performance can decrease. Alcohol impairs judgment, reaction time, and memory, and can also affect vision and hearing—all of which can be risky in-flight. The FAA explains that flying is a “highly demanding cognitive and psychomotor task that takes place in an inhospitable environment where pilots are exposed to various sources of stress.”
According to the FAA, pilots must wait at least eight hours between drinking and flying (the “bottle to throttle” rule) and are not allowed to fly under the influence of drugs or intoxicants. The agency also warns that this gap does not guarantee someone is fit to fly because of lingering hangover effects. “A more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying.” The FAA reiterates that coffee, cold showers, or breathing 100% oxygen cannot eliminate alcohol from the body. Even after full elimination, hangover effects can last up to 72 hours after the last drink.