FAA proposes $255,000 penalty against United over flight attendant drug-testing allegations
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $255,000 civil penalty against United Airlines, alleging the carrier allowed a flight attendant to perform safety-sensitive duties on 47 flights without required drug-and-alcohol compliance safeguards.
The FAA announced the proposed penalty July 16, 2026. The agency alleges the flights took place between May 2024 and July 2025 and involved a flight attendant who had not completed a substance-abuse professional evaluation, received a verified negative return-to-duty drug test or undergone required follow-up testing.
The action concerns aviation personnel performing safety-sensitive work, for whom drug-and-alcohol evaluation and testing requirements are designed to address fitness for duty. The proposed penalty puts the compliance of a major U.S. airline under federal aviation-safety scrutiny, but it does not establish a final violation or conclude that passengers were endangered.
What the FAA alleges
According to the FAA’s notice, United allowed the flight attendant to work safety-sensitive duties on 47 flights during the period covered by the agency’s allegations. The notice identifies three safeguards the worker allegedly lacked: an evaluation by a substance-abuse professional, a verified negative drug test required before returning to duty and follow-up testing.
The FAA also said United had terminated the flight attendant in 2021 after he refused a drug test and later rehired him. The agency’s account of that employment history is part of the basis for the proposed enforcement action.
The allegations concern the carrier’s handling of the worker’s eligibility to perform safety-sensitive duties. They do not identify a single route, aircraft or particular passenger impact for the 47 flights.
Proposed penalty is not final
The $255,000 figure is a proposed civil penalty rather than a final enforcement order. The FAA’s action represents the agency’s allegations and proposed sanction at this stage.
United has 30 days after receiving the enforcement letter to respond. The FAA notice does not state whether the airline will contest the action or what the eventual disposition will be.
The response period gives the carrier an opportunity to address the allegations before the matter reaches its next known stage. Until the enforcement process is resolved, the proposed amount and the FAA’s account should be distinguished from a final finding.
Why the action matters
Airline flight attendants perform duties classified as safety-sensitive, making compliance with federal drug-and-alcohol safeguards a matter of aviation oversight rather than an ordinary workplace testing dispute. The FAA’s allegations focus on whether United permitted the worker to perform those duties without the evaluation and testing steps identified in the notice.
The case also illustrates how the FAA can pursue compliance action against a major U.S. air carrier when the agency alleges that required safeguards were not completed. The proposed penalty is tied to the carrier’s alleged authorization of work on 47 flights, not to a finding that every flight operated by United or every member of its workforce was affected.
The immediate next step is United’s response within the 30-day period following receipt of the enforcement letter. The FAA has announced the proposed action, but the matter remains unresolved unless and until a final disposition is issued.
Sources
- FAA Proposes $255,000 Fine Against United Airlines for Alleged Drug and Alcohol Violation, Federal Aviation Administration
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