14 pilots, 54 crew members fail breathalyzer test in first six months of 2022
Of the pilots who have tested positive for failing a breathalyzer test, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had till the end of April suspended two pilots and two cabin crew for a period of three years for being positive for the second time.
July 28, 2022 / 02:49 PM IST
Representative image (Image: Reuters)
Fourteen pilots and 54 crew members have so far tested positive when subjected to an alcohol breath analysis test between January and June 2022, Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia said in a response in the Lok Sabha on July 28.
Of the pilots who have tested positive for failing a breathalyzer test, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had till the end of April suspended two pilots and two cabin crew for a period of three years for being positive for the second time.
The remaining pilots and cabin crew members were suspended for three months as they tested positive for the first time.
Breathalyzer tests are conducted to certify that aviation safety is not compromised due to the consumption of alcohol by pilots and cabin crews.
As many as 60 pilots and 150 cabin crew members tested positive following the breathalyzer test in the last two and a half years, Scindia had said in a response to another question in the parliament.
The DGCA in its guidelines mentions that airlines must ensure that 50 percent of their cockpit and cabin crew members are subjected to preflight alcohol tests on a daily basis.
According to the advisory issued by DGCA, there are chances of a decrease in performance even 12 hours after a bout of drink, when blood alcohol level remains zero.
"Alcohol present in the body even in small quantities jeopardizes flight safety on several counts and is likely to adversely affect an aviator well into the hangover period," the advisory stated.