Though it is undoubtedly a hassling downer for those involved, alcohol and drug testing of safety-sensitive aviation personnel remain mainly mandatory in most of the world to protect public safety. To enhance security within the Indian aviation industry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) started conducting random testing. Two pilots have since become the first aviation personnel to fail the dope tests this week.

DGCA gets stricter

Breath analyzer tests to ensure aviation personnel is sober when they report for work have been conducted within India for several years. It was only recently when the DGCA began mandatory testing flight crew and air traffic controllers for psychoactive substances on a random basis starting on January 31st this year. The drugs to be tested include amphetamine and amphetamine-type stimulants, opiates and metabolites, cannabis, cocaine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepine.

Random drug testing does not apply solely to flight crews, cabin crews, and air traffic controllers. The DGCA has ensured it applied to aircraft maintenance engineers, certifying employees, trainees, instructors, and examiners. Such personnel would be tested before employing a person, before admitting a trainee pilot for flying schools, and previously positive cases would also have to be retested at the first available opportunity before being hired by a prospective aviation firm.

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At least 10% of aviation personnel in a single organization must undergo dope testing annually. Photo: Getty Images

Sent for rehab

Personnel who test positive would have to be reported to the DGCA within 24 hours of detection, and a confirmation test would have to be done for double confirmation. After that, the DGCA will immediately suspend the positive cases until a confirmatory report is received. As for the two pilots who failed their drug tests, they were immediately suspended from flight duty, as confirmed by the DGCA:

"The two pilots failed the dope test in the last 4-5 days. Per protocol, their urine samples underwent a confirmatory test after the initial positive test. The samples were sent abroad for the confirmation test. Due to sensitivity and privacy issues and the stigma attached, the identity of the pilots and the two prominent Indian airlines they work for is not being disclosed."

Since this is the first time the two pilots have failed the drug test, they will be sent for de-addiction or rehabilitation. They will only be able to return to active flight duty once the program has been successfully cleared, and they return with a negative drug test and a fitness certificate from the airline doctor. However, suppose the pilots subsequently continue to test positive for a second time. In that case, they will have their license suspended for three years, and a third violation would result in license cancellation.

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The DGCA has been busy with announcements. Photo: Getty Images

Worrying statistics

Although the two pilots were the first couple of aviation personnel to have failed the drug test since it was inducted six months ago, the failures still add to the worrying statistics happening within the industry. Between January and April this year, nine pilots and 30 cabin crew failed their pre-flight alcohol tests for the first time. As it was their first failure, they were suspended for three months. And these 39 were in addition to two pilots and two cabin crews being suspended for three years as it was their second violation.

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What's more worrying is that the massive numbers within the first four months of this year were already a close call to the total number of alcohol test failures last year, which stood at 59 positives, 19 of which were pilots. Throwing in the two positive drug test results this year further highlights the severity of the problem in the Indian aviation industry.

Source: Times of India