A Delta flight attendant was allegedly almost seven times over the alcohol limit while on duty at London's Heathrow Airport, according to a report. Lemara Thompson, 27, from Brooklyn had 135 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in her body, the UK's Metro reported.
The woman, who lives in Ocean Avenue, was charged with performing an aviation function with a blood-alcohol level over the prescribed limit, which is 20 milligrams for people performing duties relating to an airliner, according to Civil Aviation Authority rules and the Railways and Transport Safety Act.
Thompson did not appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court for a hearing on Wednesday, the report said. However, she did respond to the court via mail. Authorities said that Thompson was given two weeks' time to travel to the British court or to set up a video link. She is expected to appear in court on Dec. 4. The case was adjourned until the next date by Chair Magistrate Alison White.
Delta has not released an official statement about the incident, which took place June 16.
In August,a AirWisconsin flight attendant was allegedly out of a job after being intoxicated while on duty. The woman reportedly slurred the safety announcement, dropped things, stumbled around and ultimately fell asleep in the jump seat. The woman's erratic behavior made some passengers feel "scared for their lives" during the flight from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana. She was later charged and could face up to six months in jail.
Passenger Aaron Schreb, who reported the incident on social media at the time, issued a statement to Fox News:
"I would hope that United Airlines and Air Wisconsin treat this person as an employee, not as an expendable commodity, and that they will help her get treatment for addiction, if that's in fact what she suffers from," he said via email on Aug. 9.
"Given the significant safety and security roles that flight attendants have, United (and other airlines) should consider adopting zero tolerance policies for flight attendants going forward," he continued. "While breathalyzers hopefully aren't needed on airplanes, given the recent incidents with alcohol involving pilots and flight attendants, it might be something that airlines have to consider."
