FAA proposes $255,000 fine against American Airlines for allowing 12 flight attendants who tested positive for drugs/alcohol to work.
FAA also proposes a $208,000 fine against Southwest Airlines for failures in its drug and alcohol testing program administration.
Alleged violations involve breaches of federal rules requiring immediate removal of safety-sensitive employees after a positive test.
Airlines have 30 days to respond to the enforcement actions, which highlight increased regulatory scrutiny on compliance.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed significant civil penalties against American Airlines and Southwest Airlines in the United States this week, alleging both major carriers violated federal drug and alcohol testing regulations for safety-sensitive employees. The FAA announced a $255,000 penalty against American Airlines on Wednesday, accusing the company of allowing 12 flight attendants who had tested positive for drugs or alcohol to continue performing safety-sensitive duties. This action follows a separate proposed $208,000 fine against Southwest Airlines earlier in the week for similar alleged violations of the federally mandated testing program.
The allegations center on failures within the carriers' internal processes for handling employees in safety-sensitive roles who test positive. For American Airlines, the FAA contends that between January and October 2022, the company permitted a dozen flight attendants to work despite positive test results, a direct breach of rules that require immediate removal from duty. In Southwest's case, the FAA alleges that between June 2020 and June 2021, the airline failed to properly administer its testing program, including not testing certain employees after they returned from leave, as required by law. Both airlines now have 30 days to respond to the FAA's enforcement letters.
These proposed fines underscore the FAA's heightened scrutiny of airline compliance with safety regulations in the post-pandemic travel boom era. The Drug and Alcohol Testing Program is a cornerstone of aviation safety, designed to ensure that employees in critical positions—such as pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and dispatchers—are not impaired while on duty. While the fines are substantial, they represent a regulatory action rather than an immediate safety incident. Both American and Southwest have stated they are reviewing the allegations and will respond to the FAA, with American emphasizing its commitment to safety and compliance. The outcome of these cases will be closely watched as a signal of the FAA's enforcement posture regarding foundational safety protocols.
Southwest Airlines (or simply Southwest) is a major low-cost airline of the United States. It is headquartered in the Love Field neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. It is the fourth-largest airline in North America when measured by passengers carried, as of 2024.
American Airlines, Inc. is a major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the largest airline in the world in terms of passengers carried and daily flights. American, along with its regional subsidiaries and contractors operati...
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a U.S. federal government agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in the United States and surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic control, certification of personnel and aircraft, setting...
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines could face fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over allegations that the carriers violated drug- and alcohol-testing regulations for employees. The FAA proposed a $255,000 civil penalty against American Airlines on Wednesday, accusing the company of allowing 12 flight attendants who tested positive...
