A Delta flight was cancelled yesterday after one of the pilots failed a random sobriety test prior to departure at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport (ARN). The flight, operated by a Boeing 767, was scheduled to fly from Stockholm to New York. However, there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
Flight Canceled after Failed Sobriety Test
On Tuesday July 22, 2025, Delta Flight 205 was scheduled to operate between Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport (ARN) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The flight was scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 767-300ER, registration N176DZ, which features 26 Delta One Business Class, 18 Premium Select, 21 Comfort+, and 151 Main Cabin seats.
Roughly an hour before departure, before boarding began, police boarded the aircraft to perform a random breathalyzer test on the crew in accordance with European Union regulations. A female pilot failed the breathalyzer test and was removed from the aircraft before being arrested.
It’s worth noting here that the legal limit for flight crews in the European Union is 0.02% blood alcohol content (BAC). This differs from the United States where the limit for crews is 0.04%. In most cases, to drive a vehicle in the United States, you must be under 0.08% with stricter limits imposed on commercial vehicles.
With one of the pilots unavailable, Delta was forced to cancel the flight and arrange travel for the affected passengers due to operational reasons. The aircraft ended up spending an extra day in Stockholm before being ferried back to JFK with a stop in Boston. The plane has since returned to revenue service.
Secondary Tests Show the Pilot was Fit to Fly
While breathalyzer tests are great for field operations, they don’t always provide the most accurate readings. Because of this, secondary tests are often administered in cases like this. According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, a second, more accurate, test was performed which showed that the pilot was within permitted alcohol limits.
As I’ve mentioned many times before, commercial air travel is one of the safest forms of transportation out there due to the strict rules and regulations that must be followed across the globe. Personally, as a passenger, I would rather see a flight canceled over a false positive than have a pilot who is unfit to fly at the controls.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that, technically, the pilot was able to fly. This could be an interesting piece of information for one reason, compensation.
This Might be a Costly Event for Delta
The European Union has an Air Passengers Rights Regulation, which is better known as EU 261. This regulation levies penalties on airlines for flight cancellations, delays, and certain denied boardings. These penalties can be as high as €600 per passenger, depending on flight distance.
With the particular Boeing 767 operating this flight outfitted with 216 seats which means that Delta could be on the hook for as much as €129,600 (roughly $153,000 based on current exchange rates) in EU 261 compensation.
While having crewmembers unavailable to operate the flight ultimately is the fault of the airline, Delta could potentially argue that the pilot was fit for duty and that the flight was cancelled due to a faulty reading. In this case, the carrier could possibly find a way to get out of paying EU 261 compensation.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. For passengers on the affected flight, it may be a good idea to reach out to a company that specializes in EU 261 compensation should Delta refuse.
Summary
A Delta Air Lines pilot was arrested at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm yesterday after failing a random sobriety test prior to departure. This caused the flight to be cancelled due to “operational reasons” with passengers making other arrangements to reach their final destination.
While passengers should be eligible for EU 261 compensation in situations like this, the pilot was reportedly retested after being arrested with more sophisticated methods and passed. It will be interesting to see if compensation is paid out and what ultimately comes of this story.