India’s aviation regulator is not quite done yet. After suspending several flight crew members over the last few months for failing alcohol tests, it has now revealed a list of airport workers found drunk while on duty. Workers across several Indian airports, big and small, were found violating the rules, and the DGCA has initiated action against the offenders.

80+ airport workers found drunk on duty

Between January 2021 and March 2022, a total of 84 people working at 42 Indian airports failed alcohol tests, according to the data by the DGCA. The regulator states that the aviation personnel covered under these rules include aircraft maintenance engineers, vehicle drivers who drive fuelling and catering vehicles, equipment operators, aerobridge operators, marshallers, personnel guarding aprons, and ground handling services and ATC personnel.

The data, which was accessed by The Press Trust of India (PTI), reveals that 54 of the 84 workers who failed the test were drivers, while others included aerobridge operators, loaders, wiremen, ramp supervisors, people from ground support service teams, and aircraft rescue and firefighting services.

Several offenders were employees of the airport operators, but quite a few were employed by other companies, such as catering, ground handling, and aircraft maintenance companies, which work at the airport.

Mumbai Airport Getty
Most workers who failed the test were drivers, while others included aerobridge operators, loaders, wiremen, and ramp supervisors, among others. Photo: Getty Images

Mumbai reports the highest cases

The DGCA’s data breaks down the numbers across airports and airport operators. The data reveals that 56 workers were from Airports Authority of India (AAI)-run airports, 17 at four Adani Group-run airports, 9 at two GMR group-run airports, and 2 at Fairfax India-run Bengaluru airport.

The AAI, however, shared its own list with the PTI, stating that only 18 workers at 14 AAI-run airports failed the alcohol test within the given time frame.

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The highest number of offenders were found at Mumbai airport (9 workers), followed by Delhi (8 workers). Other airports on the list include Hyderabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, Lucknow, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Udaipur, Trichy, Tirupati, Pune, Chennai, and Kolkata, among others.

The PTI quotes the AAI as saying,

"There is a zero-tolerance in the AAI for the workers who come for duty under the influence of alcohol. AAI HODs [head of departments] at respective airports sensitise their employees and the workers engaged by the contracting agencies regarding non-consumption of alcohol/alcoholic drinks while on duty and apprises them of the penalties mentioned in the DGCA CAR [regulation]."

Mumbai Airport terminal at night
Photo: Getty Images

What do the rules say?

The DGCA issued rules for alcohol tests for all airport workers in 2019, which state that airport operators have to conduct random breath analyzer tests on their employees as well as staff of other companies who work at the airport. The rules also dictate that at least 10% of the workers employed by other companies must be randomly subjected to BA test every day.

First-time offenders are kept off duty and their license/approval suspended for a period of three months. A second violation results in the suspension of license for a year.

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