NEW DELHI, May 12 (NNN-PTI) – India’s civil aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), suspended nine pilots and 32 cabin crew members for testing positive during their pre-flight alcohol tests conducted between Jan 1 and Apr 30.
According to the DGCA’s breather analyser (BA) data, one pilot and five cabin crew members of Go Air, four pilots and 10 cabin crew members of IndiGo, one pilot and six cabin crew members of Spice Jet, one pilot of Air India Express, four crew members of Air Asia, one pilot and two cabin crew members of Vistara, one pilot of Alliance Air and five crew members of Air India, failed the pre-flight alcohol tests.
The remaining seven pilots and 30 cabin-crew members tested BA positive for the first time, and were suspended for three months, the aviation regulator said.
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all crew members were required to undergo pre-flight alcohol tests. However, when the pandemic struck, the tests were suspended for a couple of months. The tests were resumed subsequently after the withdrawal of restrictions.
In Apr, the DGCA restrained 90 pilots of SpiceJet airline from operating Boeing 737 Max aircraft, on finding them not properly trained.
Reports said, the aviation watchdog has asserted that airlines must ensure that 50 percent of their cockpit and cabin crew members are subject to pre-flight alcohol tests on a daily basis.– NNN-PTI
