Overview
- Crew members in a Geneva hotel reported that two Swiss pilots appeared intoxicated the morning of a scheduled flight in May 2026 and prevented them from operating the Airbus A220.
- Swiss removed and replaced the pilots before departure and says neither ever sat intoxicated in the cockpit.
- Alcohol tests were reportedly carried out and confirmed the pilots were unfit for duty, and the airline has ordered medical checks while the case is being examined internally.
- The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (Bazl) has been notified and the pilots remain suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings that could include dismissal.
- The incident highlights airline rules that go beyond Europe’s 0.2‰ statutory limit, the role of crew reporting in safety checks, and the potential for closer regulatory scrutiny of fitness-for-duty enforcement.