First Choice Airways suspends cabin crew over drinking report

Airline Industry Information, Nov 4, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

First Choice Airways has suspended an entire cabin crew after a passenger allegedly saw them drinking alcohol on a flight from Cancun, Mexico to Manchester in the UK.

The passenger said that she complained to the police, after being ignored by First Choice officials at Manchester Airport, that cabin crew were drinking Bailey's cream liqueur on the flight from Mexico on 31 October 2004. The airline said that it is taking the complaint very seriously and that the crew members have been suspended and could be dismissed if it turns out to be true.

Air crew are banned from drinking alcohol eight hours before flying and the staff could face criminal charges if they were found to be endangering the aircraft by drinking. The female passenger told the airline that she saw cabin crew slipping the liqueur into their coffee during the nine-hour flight, reports icNorthWales.

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