NEW DELHI: A massive step towards ensuring safer air travel for all has been taken by the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). It has proposed various stringent punishments for cockpit crew who report for duty drunk, including cancellation of the licence for repeat offenders.
In a notification made public last week, the regulator stated that alcohol present in the body, even in small quantities, jeopardises flight safety on several counts and adversely affects an aviator even in the hangover period.
It has proposed enforcing these actions in the case of violations detected before the departure of a flight (pre-flight) during the breath-analyser test. The biggest punishment the DGCA has proposed is the cancellation of the license or the approval to fly in the case of any individual who tests positive for the third time during the breath-analyser tests. Testing positive for alcohol twice would result in a three-year suspension of the licence, while testing positive for the first time would result in a three-month licence suspension. Skipping such tests would also be treated with much seriousness.
Similar penalties have been proposed for post-flight alcohol tests, with the maximum punishment being cancellation of the licence or approval. Action under the Aircraft Rules 1977 would be initiated if a crew member tests positive a second time.
Testing positive for alcohol for those in a traineeship role, like Examiners, Instructors, Line Training Captain, Check Pilot or Line Check Cabin Crew would result in the loss of approval or authorisation for three years in addition to penal action.
It has made it mandatory for all operators to maintain separate records of preflight and postflight breath analyser exams for the flight crew and cabin crew for a minimum period of one year.
The notification pointed out that, as per the provision of Rule 24 of the Aircraft Rules, a pilot, commander, navigator, engineer, cabin crew or other operating members should not have used any alcoholic drink, sedative, narcotic or stimulant drug preparation within 12 hours of the commencement of the flight or use such preparation in the course of the flight.
Airlines have been given time untill October 24 to respond to the proposed rules.