Dirty picture of Indian aviation: Too many drunk pilots, with many repeat offenders

NEW DELHI:  Air passengers may find it scary, but there were more than 130 instances of pilots being found drunk before flying aircraft at various airports in the country.

Even as airlines have taken prohibitive action according to the prescribed guidelines of the regulator, it has had hardly any impact, as the number of such cases has not gone down.

According to information from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 132 pilots were found drunk during the last three years during the pre-flight medical examination. While 43 pilots were found drunk in 2015, the next year saw 44 such cases and the year 2017 witnessed 45 such instances.

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As per rule 24 of the Aircraft Rules, crew members are prohibited from consuming any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight. 

Moreover, it is mandatory for them to undergo an alcohol test both before and after operating a flight.
The rules also say that any crew member who tests positive in the pre-flight medical check or refuses to take a breathalyzer test is required to be taken off flying duty and his or her licence is suspended for three months.

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In case of a repeat offence, the licence of the crew member is suspended for three years. The Ministry’s data reveal that in many cases pilots were found to be repeat offenders. 

A DGCA official said that action was taken accordingly. A total of 112 pilots tested positive for the first time and the privileges of their pilot’s licence were suspended for three months. 

Similarly, 15 pilots tested positive for the second time and the privileges of their licence were suspended for three years. One pilot tested positive for the third time and his pilot’s licence was cancelled.