The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a civil penalty of $255,000 against United Airlines for allegedly violating federal drug and alcohol testing regulations.
According to the FAA, United allowed a flight attendant to perform safety-sensitive duties on 47 flights between May 2024 and July 2025 without completing the required return-to-duty process. The agency alleges the employee had not been evaluated by a substance abuse professional, had not produced a verified negative return-to-duty drug test and was not enrolled in the mandatory follow-up testing programme.
The FAA said the flight attendant had previously been dismissed by United in 2021 for refusing to undergo a drug test before later being rehired.
United Airlines has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the proposed civil penalty.