DGCA reprimands 48 airline pilots and crew members for failing alcohol check since January

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: When you fly an plane, the lives of lots of of individuals on board are within the fingers of the pilot and different crew members. It is incumbent upon them to make sure that they fly the passengers safely which incorporates being sober, with out being inebriated.

The checklist of these failing the check embody 4 pilots and 10 cabin crew of IndiGo, one pilot and 5 cabin crew of Go Air, one pilot and 6 cabin crew of SpiceJet, one pilot of Air India Express, 4 cabin crew of Air Asia, one pilot and two cabin crew of Vistara, and 5 cabin crew of Air Asia. In addition, two members from Air India and one every from AR Airways, GVHL and Jaya Hind Industries missed taking the check, in accordance with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The aviation regulator conducts routine checks to make sure that the crew is sober after they board the plane. However, many are caught violating the rule.

“We strictly enforced the requirements on the Breath Analyser (BA) testing of the crew for the consumption of alcohol even during the prevailing pandemic. Since the beginning of this year (January 1st) we have carried out 48 enforcement actions for the violations of the various requirements regarding testing of crew for consumption of alcohol,” in accordance with the DGCA.

Since the final 4 months, 9 pilots and 32 cabin crew have been discovered BA constructive. Out of those, two pilots and two cabin crew have been suspended for a interval of three years for being constructive for a second time. The remaining 37 crew members have been suspended for a interval of three months for testing constructive for the primary time.

“Other enforcement actions were related to the missing BA test or not furnishing the declaration,” the DGCA added.