Seven airline pilots caught drunk within a month

Thirty people, including seven pilots, were caught within a month after the resumption of sobriety tests for aviation workers, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data obtained through the office of Rep. Park Sang-hyuk, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party and the National Assembly's Committee on Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, a total of 30 people, including pilots, cabin crew, and mechanics, were tested for alcohol in September. That is about one person a day.

By occupation, seven were flight crew, including captains and first officers, 19 were cabin crew, and four were mechanics. Korean Air had the most with 11, followed by T’way Air with seven, Jeju Air with six, and Eastar with three. Jin Air, Asiana Airlines, and Air Incheon had one each. Two of them had blood alcohol levels above 0.08%, the level at which a driver's license is revoked. Some pilots had only been with the company for a few months, while some had been working for 27 years.

Aviation workers, such as pilots and flight attendants, must take a sobriety test before flying or working. This is because accidents caused by alcohol consumption while operating an aircraft can lead to significant casualties. If they fail the test, they are immediately removed from their duties. They will also be disciplined according to the airline's internal regulations.

Airlines began conducting sobriety tests for all aviation workers in 2019 but suspended them in 2020 due to the pandemic. The land, infrastructure, and transport ministry resumed mandatory sobriety tests in September.


변종국 bjk@donga.com