A British Airways flight from the United States to London took an unexpected turn when a crew member went missing during the journey and was later found in an unusual state.
Initially, the transatlantic flight proceeded without issue—until crew members noticed one of their colleagues had disappeared. After a brief search, the missing flight attendant was located inside the lavatory of the Club World cabin, British Airways’ business class section. According to eyewitnesses, the man appeared “severely disoriented” and was discovered completely naked, dancing to music.
Crew members managed to dress him in a first class pyjama before restraining him in a passenger seat. Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport, the flight attendant was taken into custody by police. A source familiar with the matter suggested to The Sun the man may have been under the influence of drugs. “Rather than asking passengers ‘chicken or beef’, he was stripping off and dancing in the toilet. It was a long time before he was located and he was completely out of it,” a colleague commented. “The plane was cruising at 37,000ft over the Atlantic, but this bloke seemed to be higher than anyone else.”
While passengers were never in any danger, British Airways described the event as a “very serious incident” and has launched a thorough internal investigation.
Not an Isolated Case
This is not the first time a British Airways crew member has faced disciplinary action over substance use. A few years ago, a flight attendant was dismissed after showing up intoxicated at Newcastle Airport. Scheduled to operate two flights, she reportedly fell on a moving walkway and smelled strongly of alcohol, prompting colleagues to alert superiors.