New Delhi: Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday ordered the resumption of breath analyser (BA) tests for pilots and cabin crews to determine that they are not under the influence of alcohol.
The aviation regulator had in March temporarily suspended BA tests due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"... flight crew pilots and cabin crew members shall undergo preflight BA test... as per this scheme: For all domestic operations - 10% random pre-flight BA examination shall be carried out per day for their entire operations. For all international operations - 100% pre-flight BA examination shall be carried out per day," said the DGCA on Friday.
The order further added that every aviation personnel reporting for duty is required to submit an undertaking in respect of the fact that he/she is not under the influence of alcohol and that he/she has not consumed alcohol or psychoactive substance in the 12 hours preceding the time of reporting for duty.
"The undertaking must also contain a warning that in case of violation of the undertaking, the licence/approval will be suspended for a period of three years. The process of submitting undertaking is to be done in presence of medical representative," said the aviation regulator.
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On March 30, the DGCA had temporarily exempted flight crew from BA tests in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
".. due to the extraordinary circumstances in view of the outbreak of Covid-19 and also in view of the directions issued by High Court of Delhi and High Court of Kerala (for air traffic controllers), the conduct of breath analyser test in respect of all aviation personnel as required under subject Civil Aviation Requirements in force is temporarily suspended at all airport still further orders," the DGCA order issued in March-end stated.
Earlier, Air India pilots had also written to the aviation regulator for suspending both pre and post flight BA test after a SpiceJet pilot was tested positive for coronavirus.
