DGCA hikes number of airport ground crew to be screened daily for alcohol consumption by 2.5 times

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, January 7

Revising norms for the conduct of breath analyser tests for alcohol consumption by ground crew at airports, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has increased the number of personnel to be mandatorily screened by 2.5 times.

Fresh instructions drafted by DGCA this week require that at least 25 per cent of individuals are randomly subjected to breath-analyser examination on a daily basis, when they report for duty. Earlier, this number was 10 per cent.

The instructions cover air traffic controllers, flight despatchers, aircraft maintenance personnel, aerodrome operation personnel, fire and rescue personnel, vehicle drivers, including catering and refuelling vehicles, ground equipment operators and ground handling personnel.

The instructions on breath analyser tests for ground crew were last issued in September 2019. DGCA had also issued revised instructions on the subject for air crew in October 2023, requiring each member of cockpit and cabin crew to undergo tests for alcohol consumption.

The aerodrome management shall responsible for the conduct of tests and the organisations concerned have been asked to use a scientifically valid method such as a random-number table or a computer-based random-number generator to select the covered employees for testing.

All employees must have an equal chance of being tested each time the selection is made and specific individuals or groups must not be targeted including certain occupational groups or locations, the DGCA circular states.

DGCA has also directed that no person shall consume any drug or formulation or use any substance like mouthwash tooth gel, etc., which may have alcoholic content or any such product which has alcoholic content, prior to reporting for duty, as such alcohol content may lead to positive result in breath analyser test. Persons taking such medication shall consult the doctor before they undertake their assigned duty. This provision is similar to that issued for air crew.

In addition to the requirement of testing 25 per cent employees daily, aerodrome managements and organisations concerned can also conduct random breath-analyser examination of ground handling personnel and aerodrome operation personnel if there is suspicion of alcohol consumption during duty hours.

DGCA provisions require that persons who test positive for alcohol consumption for the first time or refuse to undergo the breath analyser test shall be kept off duty and their license or approval shall be suspended for a period of three months.

In case of second such violation the license shall be suspended for a period of one year and for the third violation it shall be suspended for a period of three years. In case of the fourth such violation, the license or approval shall be cancelled and the concerned person shall be removed permanently from sensitive functions.

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