The Federal Aviation Administration proposes a $255,000 civil penalty against United Airlines for allegedly violating federal drug and alcohol regulations. The FAA announced the proposed enforcement action on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington.
The FAA alleges that United allowed a flight attendant to perform safety-sensitive duties on 47 flights between May 2024 and July 2025. According to the agency, the flight attendant did so without an evaluation by a substance abuse professional, without a verified negative return-to-duty drug test result, and without being subject to follow-up testing.
The FAA further states that United terminated the flight attendant in 2021 for refusing to submit to a drug test and subsequently re-hired him. The agency’s proposed civil penalty concerns the alleged performance of safety-sensitive duties without the specified evaluation and testing requirements.
United has 30 days after receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.