British Airways ‘suspends crew’ after alleged boozy hotel night | UK | News
The Express understands British Airways has suspended four cabin crew members after an alleged night of binge drinking at a luxury resort in Barbados forced them to cancel a planned return flight to London.
An internal investigation is ongoing following the incident, which reportedly left hundreds of passengers stranded when flight BA254 was canceled shortly before take-off from Bridgetown on Sunday.
The crew allegedly spent the night at a beachside all-inclusive hotel, where rooms are said to cost around £500 per night, before starting the service back to the UK.
Guests of the resort claimed the night turned chaotic as the alcohol continued to flow and some crew members allegedly became extremely intoxicated.
A stewardess was said to have called in sick in the hotel bar, while a male colleague had collapsed and needed help getting back to his room.
Holidaymakers who began filming the group also claimed they were told: “We’re British Airways crew, so what?” when concerns were raised about his behavior.
British Airways managers are understood to have sacked the entire operations team ahead of flight BA254, which was scheduled to leave Bridgetown at 4.40pm local time on Sunday and arrive in London at 6.20am on Monday morning.
The cancellation affected as many as 336 passengers who had booked to travel on the airline’s Boeing 777-200 aircraft, according to a report by The Sun.
Staying overnight in high-end hotels is reportedly considered one of the benefits of working on long-distance services, an insider said.
“One of the perks of working as a flight crew for BA is staying in incredible hotels in remote destinations,” the source said.
“And the team flying to Barbados were making the most of their stay at an idyllic retreat where the guests were all honeymooners and families on the trip of a lifetime.
“It’s a huge privilege and it’s understandable that the group wants to have fun.
“However, some of this crew behaved in a manner unbecoming of British Airways.
“Vodka and beer kept being spilled and some of the crew were clearly drunk.”
The source added that the complaints were made after one crew member fell ill and another fainted in the evening.
It is understood that replacement personnel have been brought in to cover future services to Barbados as the crew returns to the UK.
The four suspended employees returned to the UK earlier this week while the airline’s investigation continues.
Industry sources told The Sun the disruption could cost British Airways hundreds of thousands of pounds when crew replacements, accommodation and wider operational costs are taken into account.
A British Airways spokesman said: “We expect the highest standards from our crew and are investigating this matter urgently.”
