AirBaltic confirmed that a flight from Oslo to Chania in Crete was delayed for almost five hours after crew were removed from operating the aircraft under suspicion of alcohol abuse.
The Latvian carrier said: “According to the currently available information, four out of five crew are under initial suspicion for alcohol abuse, and they are now undergoing a careful medical examination to determine the actual blood alcohol levels.”
Four crew have been suspended while an investigation into the incident takes place.
The airline added: “AirBaltic reiterates that it has zero tolerance for diverting from the safety principles and, as soon as comprehensive investigation is completed, will evaluate additional safety measures in cooperation with aviation authorities.”
The statement issued on Saturday said that the flight was grounded for 4 hours 45 minutes due to its crew being removed from operating the flight.
“Safety is our top priority and AirBaltic is in process of careful investigation of this situation,” the airline said.
“AirBaltic has several layers of control mechanism to ensure the safety of all AirBaltic-operated flights.
“Procedures are in place to ensure potential mistakes of human factor are addressed.
“AirBaltic has temporarily suspended the involved four crew until the investigation is completed.
“AirBaltic thanks the Norwegian airport and police authorities for their contribution towards enforcing AirBaltic safety principles.
“AirBaltic apologises for the inconvenience and delay caused to our customers.”