Air India director (operations) tests positive for alcohol prior to flight

MUMBAI: Air India director (operations) Capt Arvind Kathpalia tested positive for alcohol during the mandatory pre-flight breathalyser test in Delhi on Sunday. This is the second time in less than two years that the Air India senior pilot has been in news for blood alcohol prior to flight.

Capt Kathpalia, who is also on the Board of Directors of Air India, was rostered to operate Delhi-London flight AI-111, scheduled for a 2.45pm departure. He went to the medical room for the test around 1.30pm, said a source. "He failed the breathalyser. Currently, he has refused to give blood sample for testing for alcohol," said a source, adding that he is being grounded immediately.

Flight AI-111 is currently on ground.

A statement from Air India is awaited.

It's not the first time that Capt Kathpalia has been found to be alcohol positive.

According to a complaint filed by Indian Commercial Pilots Association, on January 19, 2017, Kathpalia, who was rostered to operate a Delhi-Bengaluru flight, proceeded to operate the flight without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight Breathalyser test. Moreover, even after landing in Bengaluru, he refused to undergo a similar test.

When he landed in Delhi later in the day, the ICPA letter alleged that he went to Air India pre-flight medical examination room and made a false entry in the pre-flight breath analyzer examination register for the flight he had operated.

In August this year, a Delhi court directed the Delhi police to lodge an FIR against Capt Kathpalia for alleged violation of aircraft rules, tampering with evidence. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur had also directed Lalit Gupta, former joint Directorate General of Civil Aviation be named as an accused in the FIR for allegedly covering up the actions of Capt Kathpalia.