New Delhi: In view of the declining trend in coronavirus cases and a sudden rise in air traffic, Civil Aviation watchdog DGCA on Wednesday reviewed the guidelines for breath analyzer test of pilots and crew members of the flight.
As per the new notification issued by the DGCA, "All aircraft personnel, including pilots and cabin crew members, will have to undergo breath analyzer test from October 15 onward", with the DGCA lifting the related curbs that were in place due to the pandemic.
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It is worthy to note here that amid the pandemic, the breath analyzer test that is done to check whether any crew member has consumed alcohol, was limited to 50 per cent of the aircraft personnel. Further, following an order passed by the Delhi High Court in May 2021, the number of breath analyzer tests that can be conducted in one hour was limited to six.
The aviation watchdog keeping in mind the fears of coronavirus had in 2020 temporarily suspended breath analyzer alcohol tests for all aviation personnel, including the pilots, on account that these tests could aid the spread of coronavirus.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in July 28 replying to a question in Lok Sabha had said that these stringent norms by the DGCA have come as 14 pilots and 54 crew members tested positive when subjected to an alcohol breath analysis test between January and June 2022.
