Not just pilots, airport staff too report to work ‘drunk’: DGCA report
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) effort to make air travel more safe helped detect several cases between January and February where airport staff reported to work “drunk”.
A Bloomberg report quoted sources in the DGCA to state that about a dozen airport drivers, firefighters and plane maintenance staff reported to work “drunk” during the above said period, a conclusion drawn on the basis of breath analyzer test.
The Indian civil aviation sector has earlier reported several cases of pilots and airline crew failing the breath analyser test just before reporting to work.
Random testing conducted at the Delhi airport during the period between December 25, 2021 and January 1, 2022 – the festive season – found three cabin crew personnel and one pilot from different airlines failing the breath analyser test.
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An RTI query found that 171 pilots were caught drunk before taking off from airports in India and abroad between 2016 and 2019.
Days before Christmas last year, the DGCA issued revised guidelines on breath analyser tests for flight crew. Maintenance staff and anyone who visits the cockpit for inspection, audit or training were subjected to breath analyser tests. In addition, drivers of baggage carts, loaders, push-back operators and air traffic controllers too will be subjected to the alcohol test, Bloomberg reported.
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It is also said that a person may fail the breath analyser test 36 hours after having alcohol, thus putting a question mark on the validity and credibility of such a test.
Indigo responded by saying that “being on certain medication can also lead to employees failing the breath-analyzer test”. “However, cases of ground staff failing this test are far and few between. We follow all laid down protocols to ensure the safety of our passengers and employees.”
