by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:10 PM ET, Mon June 2, 2025
A British Airways flight attendant was accused of taking drugs and dancing naked in a business class restroom onboard a flight during a meal service he was supposed to be serving to passengers last weekend.
According to the British tabloid, The Sun, the flight, operated by a double-decker Airbus A380-800, was heading from San Francisco to London Heathrow on the night of Saturday, May 31 when other flight attendants realized he was missing.
Their boss then found him completely naked and dancing in a business class bathroom. Officials believe that drugs played a large role in his behavior.
His coworkers summarily dressed him in British Airways pajamas and buckled him into a First Class seat for the rest of the long-haul flight.
One of his colleagues told The Sun: “We think the guy popped pills when he was meant to be working. It is an extraordinary thing to do. The plane was cruising at 37,000ft over the Atlantic, but this bloke seemed to be higher than anyone else.”
“Rather than asking passengers ‘chicken or beef’, he was stripping off and dancing in the toilet,” said the source. “It was a long time before he was located and he was completely out of it. Not only is it really dangerous, it is a crazy way to end your BA career. This job can do ridiculous things to people, but staging a one-man disco in a Club World toilet is a new one on me.”
The authorities were called and arrested him once the plane landed in London mid-morning on Sunday, June 1. The steward received medical treatment, and accounts state that he was led away from the plane in a wheelchair.
British Airways declined to provide additional information, but stated that “This is a matter for the police.”
The Metropolitan Police told The Independent that a 41-year-old man was arrested on “suspicion of being unfit for duty.”
“At 9:32 a.m., police based at Heathrow Airport were called by cabin crew following the concern for welfare of a man on an inbound flight from San Francisco,” the Met statement reads. “A 41-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment once the flight had landed. Officers arrested the man after he received medical attention. He was arrested on suspicion of being unfit for duty. He has since been released under investigation.”
News reports state that the steward has been suspended from his duties during his criminal investigation.
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