6.11.21 – Alcohol Testing in the European Union

Friday, June 11, 2021

Alcohol Testing in the European Union (EU)

This is an important message from your EAP department. On the heels of the Germanwings incident, in 2018, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency published new safety rules on air operations, including new provisions to better support the mental fitness of aircrew. The Regulation that impacts our workgroup includes the following safety measure:

• Alcohol testing: As an additional safety barrier, alcohol testing of pilots and cabin crew for all European and foreign airlines who fly into the territories of the European Union has been added. Alcohol testing is already a well-established practice in some Member States, and with this Regulation, alcohol testing will now be extended to all EU Member States.

This testing would take place during the SAFA (Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft) ramp inspection. We haven’t been given any information about the frequency or the timeline. We want everyone to be prepared.

In Solidarity,

Sharon Dunn
APFA EAP Representative
[email protected]