A 20-year-old flight attendant had to answer in court for serving in a drunken state on a flight from Stockholm-Arlanda to Riga. She received a suspended 40-day prison sentence and an additional fine.

Another flight attendant from the airline became aware of the condition of the lady and reported it to his superior. After landing in Riga, an alcohol test was carried out. Since this was positive, a blood test was ordered by a medical officer. The laboratory analysis showed that she had an alcohol level of 1,18 per mil in her blood.

The competent public prosecutor brought charges against the cabin crew. The case was heard in court last week. In her defense, the flight attendant stated that although she had consumed alcohol for some time prior to the flight, she had not been drinking immediately before. Irrespective of this, she was initially arrested after landing in Riga due to the positive breath alcohol test, which was verified by a blood analysis.

The court found that the flight attendant had no criminal record and that her personnel file from the airline was said to be impeccable. However, the fact that she is responsible for the safety of many people in her role as a cabin crew member made things more difficult. After weighing all the circumstances, the court decided that a 40-day suspended sentence and a fine would suffice. The verdict is not yet final, as both the public prosecutor's office and the flight attendant can still appeal.