New Delhi: In a significant development, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday barred pilots, cabin crew of Indian carriers, charter operators, flying schools and government departments from using products containing alcoholic content such as mouthwash, tooth gel and medications.
This strict measurement has been implemented by the aviation watchdog to prevent any potential positive results in their pre-flight or post-flight breath analyser tests, which are conducted to ensure that those operating flights remain completely sober. It is pertinent to note here that all maintenance personnel are now required to undergo a breath analyser examination to assess their alcohol consumption before engaging in any taxi operations of aircraft.
The DGCA has implemented a revised civil aviation requirement (CAR) concerning the "procedure for medical assessment of aircraft personnel to detect alcohol consumption". As per the new amended rules, "No cabin crew shall consume any drug/formulation or use any substance such as mouthwash/tooth gel or any such product, which has alcohol content. This may result in a positive breath analyser test. Any cabin crew member undergoing such medication shall consult the company doctor before undertaking a flying assignment."
“Save as provided, representative of the Air Safety Directorate/DMS (CA) of DGCA at his discretion may order a breath analyser examination of any of the crew members before or on completion of a flight. “For operators other than the scheduled ones, each flight crew and cabin crew of all flights originating from India shall be subjected to pre-flight breath analyser examination at first departure airport during a flight duty period,” it stated.
"However, where infrastructure does not exist, the flight crew and cabin crew shall undergo post-flight breath analyser examination. In case the flight crew and cabin crew are away from the base station for more than two days and operate a flight from there, the operator shall provide facility for conduct of their pre-flight breath-analyser examination,” it added. As per a report, in the first half of this year, 33 pilots and 97 cabin crew members failed their compulsory alcohol tests while in 2022, for the same duration, only 14 pilots and 54 cabin crew members were identified as intoxicated while on duty. (With agency inputs)
