The license of a pilot who tests positive in a Breath Analyser (BA) test before operating a flight on three occasions will be cancelled.
India’s aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has introduced stricter breath analyser rules for pilots. Under the new rules, pilots who repeatedly violate alcohol norms may even lose their licenses.
The revised rules came into effect on February 9.
If an expatriate pilot operating in India tests positive for alcohol during a pre-flight breath analyser test, their Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation (FATA) will be cancelled. It will not be reconsidered.
Under the updated rules, a pilot who tests positive in a pre-flight BA test three times will have their license cancelled.
Changes to Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)
In September last year, the DGCA proposed changes to the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) related to medical checks for crew members before and after flights.
Under the revised norms:
- If a crew member records a confirmatory BA reading of up to 0.009% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for the first time, they will be removed from duty and sent for counselling.
- For scheduled airlines, counselling will be conducted by the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief of Flight Safety. The session will focus on the harmful effects of alcohol. After counselling, the crew member may return to flying duties.
- For non-scheduled operators, counselling will be conducted by the Accountable Manager and the Chief of Flight Safety or Chief Flying Instructor (CFI).
- All such cases must be reported to the DGCA. However, the incident will not be recorded on the crew member’s license or approval.
BAC stands for Blood Alcohol Content.
Suspension for Repeat Violations
If a pilot tests positive in a pre-flight BA test for the second time, their license will be suspended. The same penalty applies if a pilot tests positive once and misses the breath analyser test the next time.
For post-flight violations, the penalties are stricter. If a crew member tests positive in one post-flight test and misses another test — or vice versa — their license or approval will be suspended for three years.
Why Alcohol Rules Are Strict
According to the DGCA, blood alcohol level is not the only factor that affects flying safety. Even if a pilot’s BAC returns to zero, they may still be impaired due to a hangover.
For this reason, pilots must not consume alcohol for at least 12 hours before flying.
The physical and mental effects of heavy drinking can last 48 to 72 hours. Because alcohol affects thinking, reaction time, and physical performance, airlines may apply even stricter rules under their safety management systems.
Rules for International Flights
For flights that start outside India, compliance with the alcohol rule will be checked when the aircraft lands in India.
For flights that start outside India and transit through India, the airline must set up a pre-flight medical testing facility at the departure station.
If a crew member operates a flight without taking the required pre-flight breath analyser test, the airline’s Chief of Operations and the crew member must ensure that a post-flight breath analyser test is conducted at the first landing point.
If the post-flight test result is negative, the crew member may continue operating the remaining sectors of the flight. The case must still be reported to the DGCA.
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