A representative for Sussex Police stated that a British Airways flight attendant was detained for being intoxicated and potentially under the influence of drugs during a trip from Gran Canaria to London Gatwick.
According to a report in The Sun, passengers watched in “shock” as the female cabin staff member was escorted off the Airbus A320 by armed police.
The British Airways flight BA2601 was met by police last Thursday after the pilots radioed ahead to express their worries about the flight attendant. Colleagues reportedly worried that the crew member might be drugged up in addition to thinking she was intoxicated.
When the 41-year-old flight attendant arrived at Gatwick Airport, she failed a breathalyzer test and was brought into custody right away to be questioned.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman stated: “Officers arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of performing an aviation function when over the prescribed limit for alcohol, contrary to the Railways and Transport Act 2003. She has been bailed, pending further inquiries.”
The flight attendant for British Airways works for BA Euroflyer, a low-cost division of the company whose pilots and cabin staff are paid far less than their colleagues at Heathrow Airport.
In preparation for its post-pandemic comeback to Gatwick Airport, British Airways established Euroflyer. The airline maintains that having low salaries is necessary to remain competitive with other low-cost carriers that predominate at Sussex airport.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the airline said it was helping police with their investigation.