NEW DELHI: Over 130 pilots and 430 cabin crew members of national carrier Air India are likely to be grounded by India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for allegedly skipping the mandatory pre- and post-flight alcohol test and thereby risking lives of thousands of passengers. These crew members of soon-to-be privatised Air India were “evading” the breath analyser test over a period of time, sources said, adding that these staffers were operating flights to and from certain destinations such as Singapore, Kuwait, Bangkok, Ahmedabad and Goa.
According to DGCA’s safety regulations, all pilots and cabin crew must undergo breath analyser test before and after flights. The rules bar crew members from taking any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight. Sources privy to the development said that Air India management “has been served an ultimatum” over the issue by DGCA.
Sources, privy to the development, said that DGCA has decided to de-roster the airline staff in a phased manner because the aviation regulator feels that grounding of such large number of staff in one go may hit the airline operations.
Air India said it was following all DGCA norms in its operations. A senior AI official, who did not wish to be named, attributed the issue to a misunderstanding between DGCA and the airline. "On this present issue, DGCA Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) indicated that in all schedule flights that originate from destinations outside India, post flight breath analyser examination of each cabin crew would be carried out. This was interpreted by the airline management as a requirement to carry out post flight medical examination." The official further said that post flight breath analyser checks were carried out on these airline staff and all of them tested negative for alcohol.
The official, however, added that Air India was ready to obey directives of DGCA for the alleged violation. "We are working with DGCA and will be complying with any directive issued by the DGCA," he said. In 2016, 224 pilots and crew members of various airlines failed the breath analyser test and in 2015, 202 pilots and crew members failed the test.
According to safety rules, crew members who test positive in the pre-flight medical check are required to be taken off flying duty for at least four weeks and the airline is required to initiate disciplinary proceedings. The same rule applies to airline staff that refuse to take the mandatory breath analyser test
Pertinently, the DGCA had in February suspended the flying license of Air India’s then executive director for operations, Arvind Kathpalia, for three months after an internal probe found him “guilty” of skipping the breath analyser test for one particular flight. Kathpalia is presently head of operations and a Board member at the disinvestment-bound Air India.