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A 
British Airways flight scheduled to operate from Barbados back to the UK on Sunday had to be canceled because a few members of the crew meant to operate that flight were reportedly getting drunk at the all-inclusive hotel where they were having their layover. This reportedly led to some members of the crew being unfit to operate the flight.
With aviation maintaining strict regulations when it comes to alcohol consumption by crew members, the decision to cancel an entire flight would have been based on passenger and flight safety, along with regulatory compliance. The airline has stated that this incident is being investigated.
Flight Back To Heathrow Was Canceled
Flight BA254 is a regularly scheduled British Airways service from Bridgetown International Airport (BGI) in Barbados to 
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in the UK. On Sunday, July 5, however, the flight was canceled, and according to various publications, this was because some members of the crew rostered to operate the aircraft were reportedly drunk at their resort-style layover hotel.
The Independent reported that some members of the crew got drunk at the hotel bar “hours before the scheduled departure” and that a female crew member was vomiting, while a male crew member had even collapsed. Reports further indicate that the actions of the crew members were filmed by other guests staying at the resort, and that a crew member even identified themselves as working for the airline.
The following was the scheduled service for the flight:
Flight | Departure | Arrival |
|---|---|---|
BA254 BGI – LHR | 4:50 PM | 6:15 AM (+1) |
The airline utilizes its fleet of Boeing 777-200ER on this route, and as such, this cancellation could have potentially impacted hundreds of passengers. The airline’s booking engine shows that first class is not offered on this route, and data from aeroLOPA shows that the airline’s 777-200s operating out of LHR have a maximum capacity of 272 seats.
A spokesperson for British Airways has confirmed to Simple Flying that a number of crew members have been stood down during the investigation, and the following statement was provided,
“We expect the highest standards of our crew, and we are urgently investigating this matter.”
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The “Bottle-To-Throttle” Regulation
In terms of regulations, both EASA and FAA state that there must be a minimum 12-hour gap between the crew’s last drink and their flight. However, due to the nature and safety criticality of flight operations, it is always better to have a longer duration, just as a safety buffer. After all, activities such as pre-flight planning, briefing, and checks are done before a flight, and require a clear mind for any decisions and actions taken.
While some countries allow for Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) of up to 0.04%, it is important to note that EASA documents a maximum allowance of up to 0.02%. However, there are also countries that maintain a stricter 0% BAC requirement. The FAA publication, meanwhile, identifies flying and alcohol as a potentially lethal combination and recommends a gap of 12 to 24 hours depending on the quantity of alcohol consumed.
Apart from the regulatory aspect, there is also the associated aspect regarding flight safety. Alcohol can impair judgment, but also the reaction time of crew members, and this is especially important for pilots, in case quick actions need to be taken. Furthermore, due to the altitude at which commercial aircraft fly, alcohol in the blood can have more serious consequences, such as crew members being disoriented and even suffering hypoxia.
These Incidents Can Prove Expensive
It is one thing when an airline has to cancel a flight due to safety or weather-related reasons, or even for operational reasons. However, it is very different when the reason for cancellation is that the crew members were unfit to fly because they had consumed alcohol. While British Airways took the right decision of canceling the flight to ensure flight safety and compliance with regulatory requirements, this would have proven to be expensive.
Considering it was an inbound flight to Heathrow that was canceled, statistically speaking, there would have been a number of connecting passengers with the airline itself, or one of the carrier’s many partners operating in and out of LHR. Furthermore, because the airline only operates a single service on this route, a canceled widebody flight can turn into an expensive and logistical issue.
In order to prevent further disruption across its network by having an aircraft stranded at another station, and to ensure minimal disruptions to passengers, the airline would have had to deploy another aircraft with multiple sets of crew to fly the aircraft to Barbados, pick up the passengers, and fly back. Additionally, the airline would have been responsible for assisting customers during this delay in Barbados, and the carrier would also have to pay compensation to all passengers and facilitate any missed connections.
