60 pilots, 150 cabin crew failed breathalyzer test
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Jul, 2022 12:44 PM
New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) A total of 60 pilots and 150 cabin crew members tested positive following the breath alyzer (BA) test in the last two and a half years. Breathalyzer tests are conducted to ensure aviation safety is not compromised due to the consumption of alcohol by pilots and cabin crews.
During the period from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022, as per the provision of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section-5, Series-F, Part-III, no license has been cancelled. However, a total of 210 pilots and crew members have been suspended.
According to a Parliament reply on Thursday, there is a systematic safety oversight process in place for monitoring the compliance of Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements by the airlines. "This is a continuing process and includes surveillance, spot checks and regulatory audits embodied in Annual Surveillance Plan (ASP) of DGCA. The findings of safety oversight exercises are followed up with the concerned operator for compliance and the observations are closed only after due verification," said the reply.
The compliance of the action taken by the operator is verified during the next audit and surveillance. In case of any violations or non-compliance to regulations detected during audit and surveillance, enforcement action including financial penalty is imposed by the DGCA.
DGCA in its guidelines had earlier said that airlines must ensure that 50 per cent of their cockpit and cabin-crew members are subjected to preflight alcohol tests on a daily basis.
As per DGCA advisory, even 12 hours after a bout of drink, when blood alcohol level remained zero, there could be a decrease in performance. "Alcohol present in body even in small quantities jeopardizes flight safety on several counts and is likely to adversely affect an aviator well into the hangover period.
The ministry of external affairs organised the summit virtually on Thursday which was attended by the heads of all five Central Asian countries -- Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.
Harcharan Bains, Principal Advisor to SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, shared documents pertaining to the reported abuse of the state intelligence wing by a private company, Movedek Politico. Bains said there are credible reports that the highest-ranked police officers of the state were asked to collaborate with the private company in intelligence gathering.
Two-time Member of Parliament and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann will be contesting from Dhuri in the February 20 polls in Punjab. The announcement was made by state affairs co in-charge Raghav Chadha in Mohali on Thursday.
The party alleged that family members of Charanjit Singh Channi, a leader of the Congress, are being targeted in order to create a perception and influence electors into believing that Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi through his family members and the Indian National Congress is involved in the allegations of money laundering.
A complaint against Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, had been sent to the investigating agencies in 2021 alleging fake companies being run by him. Prateek Yadav has a brother-in-law, Aman Singh Bisht, the younger brother of his wife Aparna Yadav.
National carrier Air India will commence normal operations to US from Friday, the airline said. On Tuesday, the national carrier said that it will not be able to operate a number of US-bound flights due to the deployment of 5G communications in the US.
