Flight delayed: 4 of 5 crewmembers pulled on 'suspicion for alcohol abuse'

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

An airBaltic flight was delayed nearly five hours after four of the flight's five crewmembers were removed for "suspicion for alcohol abuse," the carrier said in a statement. The pilot, co-pilot and two attendants were taken into custody by Norwegian police.

AirBaltic Flight 7843, operating as a charter flight, was scheduled to fly from Oslo, Norway, to the Greek island of Crete on Saturday. The flight was delayed by 4 hours, 45 minutes as another crew was located, according to the Latvia-based carrier.

AirBaltic released an updated statement late Monday, saying the four crewmembers have been suspended and the company "is preparing for their dismissal due to the damage caused." The airline also said it "has introduced additional safety measures" and that it planned to begin "pre-duty breathalyzer tests for 100% of the safety-critical personnel."

In Saturday's incident involving Flight 7843, police stopped the airBaltic crew for a breathalyzer test following an anonymous tip, according to media reports.

"We got a tip that we should make a routine check and chose to do so," Romerike Police District Operations Officer Thorleif Skovereng said to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, according to Norwegian broadcaster LSM.

"Results of the breathalyzer tests confirmed that four of the five crew members ... were above the legal alcohol limit," Edith Ek Sorensen, a police prosecutor in Norway, is quoted as saying by Australia's news.com.au.

In a Saturday statement issued shortly after the incident, airBaltic said:

"According to the currently available information, four out of five crew are under initial suspicion for alcohol abuse, and they are now undergoing a careful medical examination to determine the actual blood alcohol levels."

Still, airline spokesman Janis Vanags bluntly addressed the allegations in a video posted to airBaltic's website. He noted the carrier has a "zero tolerance" alcohol policy.

"Zero tolerance means no alcohol," Vanags added in the news.com.au report. "It's very straightforward — safety is our number one priority."

The carrier also apologized to customers for the incident and thanked Norwegian police for their help.

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