NEWS FLASH
From January 1, 2026, Serbia is about to change into one of many first international locations within the area to begin systematic alcohol testing of flight and cabin crew, the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has introduced. It added that the measure additional aligns Serbia’s aviation oversight framework with European Union security requirements, making certain full compatibility with the EASA oversight system. By implementing measures already utilized throughout plenty of EU member states, Serbia is constant to standardise its aviation security regime in step with EU finest practices, the regulator famous.
Testing will likely be carried out on flight and cabin crew of each home and international plane and carriers working at airports in Serbia. The checks will likely be performed by specifically educated and authorised aviation inspectors of the Directorate. “Pursuant to Article 193, paragraph 1 of the Legislation on Air Transport, a zero-tolerance coverage applies to the presence of alcohol amongst plane crew members. Licensed and calibrated breath-alcohol testing gadgets, which have evidentiary worth in judicial proceedings, will likely be used to measure alcohol ranges. In circumstances the place a flight or cabin crew member refuses to bear testing or the place the check confirms the presence of alcohol, the aviation inspector will briefly prohibit the person from performing crew duties and can notify the competent authorities accordingly”, the Directorate stated. It added, “Primarily based on knowledge accessible to EASA, it has been decided that the Republic of Serbia is among the many first international locations within the area to start implementing alcohol testing for plane crew, thereby additional enhancing security ranges and alignment with European aviation requirements”.
