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ShareNew Delhi: Instances of pilots and flight crew, including air hostesses, getting high on spirits during pre-flight checks are on the rise. In the last 6 months, a dozen such cases were reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). On Monday morning a flight attendant of a Mumbai-bound Air India flight (IC-942) was grounded after he was found to have consumed alcohol during pre-flight check at the Hyderabad airport.
A senior DGCA official confirmed the incident but refused to name the attendant.
Industry insiders say there is a surge in such incidents during festive seasons. They also said that the airlines voluntarily report the incidents to DGCA. "All airlines have a zero-tolerance policy towards pre-flight alcohol checks. But yes, any increase in such instances is a cause for concern," an executive of a private airline said.
The DGCA keeps track of all erring pilots and crew members. This year, the airlines have already grounded over 12 crew members, including airhostesses and pilots. Not just the airlines, even DGCA officials carry out a series of random pre-flight checks at the airports.
A DGCA official said, "Those who are caught are grounded by the airlines. They then undergo a series of refresher courses at the airlines' training centres for two months."
But flight crewmembers have a different take on the issue. They say even passengers, especially those flying alone in late-night flights, should be screened for alcohol before being issued boarding passes. "The airline grounds crew who are found with traces of alcohol, but it does little to ensure that passengers are not drunk. There are several instances where passengers create a ruckus mid-air," said a flight crew of a state carrier, pleading anonymity.
