Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DGCA has ordered airlines to resume pre-flight alcohol tests for pilots and cabin crew members. The aviation regulator had on 29th of March this year suspended a breath analyser test for all aviation personnel due to the extraordinary circumstances posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The breath analyser tests will continue to remain suspended for aviation personnel other than pilots and cabin crew members. The DGCA said yesterday that in domestic flight operations, 10 per cent of pilots and crew members should undergo preflight breath analyser tests per day. For all international operations, 100 per cent preflight breath analyser examination shall be carried out per day.
The March 29 order had stated that every aviation personnel has to submit an undertaking that he or she is not under the influence of alcohol and that he or she has not consumed alcohol or psychoactive substance in the last 12 hours from the time of reporting for duty.
The regulator had noted that if the undertaking submitted by the aviation personnel is violated, their license or approval would be suspended for three years.