Up to 336 British Airways passengers were left stranded in Barbados on Sunday, 5 July, after their flight to London was cancelled when several cabin crew members were allegedly too intoxicated from the night before to operate the service.
The airline confirmed it has launched an urgent investigation after standing down the operating crew for Flight BA254 from Bridgetown to London Heathrow. Four crew members have reportedly been suspended while the investigation continues.
According to reports, the crew had been staying at a luxury all-inclusive resort during their layover before allegedly consuming significant amounts of vodka and beer on the Saturday night before the flight. Witnesses claimed some crew members appeared visibly intoxicated, with one female crew member reportedly vomiting at the bar and a male colleague collapsing and requiring assistance back to his room.
With too few crew fit to operate the service, British Airways cancelled the flight, leaving passengers stranded in Bridgetown. The aircraft was ultimately flown back to London empty, with the airline having to reposition a replacement crew and aircraft to recover the route — disruption industry sources say could cost the carrier hundreds of thousands of pounds.
In a statement, British Airways said: “We expect the highest standards of our crew, and we are urgently investigating this matter.”
The incident highlights the strict alcohol policies governing airline crew worldwide. Flight and cabin crew are subject to stringent regulations requiring them to be fit for duty, with airlines operating zero-tolerance approaches to alcohol impairment given the safety-critical nature of their roles.
