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FAA proposes $65,000 fine for Avelo after excluding crew from random drug tests

The FAA has proposed a $65,000 civil penalty for Avelo Airlines after finding systemic failures in its drug-and-alcohol testing program. Regulators say Avelo excluded about ten crew members, including flight attendants, from the required random testing pool while they performed safety-related duties between April and November 2024.

Discovered 2026-03-10T11:24:07.382231-07:00 | 2026-03-10T11:24:07.382231-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The FAA alleges Avelo excluded about ten crew members (including flight attendants) from required random drug-and-alcohol testing between April–November 2024, and has proposed a $65,000 civil penalty — a direct enforcement action tied to safety compliance.
The action follows a broader pattern of FAA enforcement on maintenance and operational compliance, underscoring regulator scrutiny of operator testing and documentation practices (see related FAA enforcement context) (source:2d1d1a3d-f57a-42c2-a9b9-a3427c6175f3).
The penalty and cited program failures come as Avelo is restructuring its network and winded down controversial ICE deportation flying, linking compliance lapses to broader operational and reputational pressures for the carrier (source:be326197-84f2-42e5-bcdc-994cbcd4ee6a).

Reported By

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