Flight crew members to be randomly tested for alcohol daily: DGCA

The notice for pre-flight alcohol test has been issued "in view of reducing the trend of COVID-19 cases and increase in the volume of air traffic as a result of the resumption of normal operation", DGCA.

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According to the DGCA, airlines must ensure that 50% of cockpit and cabin crew members are going through daily pre-flight alcohol tests.

"In case of flying training institutes, 50 per cent of instructors and 40 per cent of student pilots shall be subjected to pre-flight breath-analyser on daily basis," stated the notice issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The notice has been issued "in view of reducing the trend of COVID-19 cases and increase in the volume of air traffic as a result of the resumption of normal operation", it noted.

"In case of flying training institutes, 50 per cent of instructors and 40 per cent of student pilots shall be subjected to pre-flight breath-analyser on daily basis," the notice issued by the DGCA said.

Operators or owners of charter planes must ensure that 50 per cent of their crew members undergo these tests, it said.

Every aviation employee who is reporting for duty is required to submit an undertaking that he or she is not under the influence of alcohol and that he or she has not consumed alcohol in the last 12 hours from the time of reporting for duty, the DGCA said.

India resumed full scheduled international flights on March 27 this year. The country resumed full scheduled domestic flights on October 18, 2021.

With inputs from PTI