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Some 50 pilots in India fail alcohol tests yearly

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-26 13:44

BEIJING -- Around 50 pilots each year in India are grounded for consuming alcohol before taking a flight, foreign media reported Thursday.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a body controlling airline operations in India, said dozens of pilots are found to have consumed alcohol during routine pre-medical tests every year.

Civil aviation rules in India specify that pilots and crew members cannot consume alcohol 12 hours before taking a flight. A pilot can be grounded for three months and he can lose his license if he repeats the mistake again.

"We have strict guidelines for alcohol intake and any operating crew is pulled up immediately, and the airlines too can punish crew members." said Kanu Gohain, a top official with DGCA.

India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world with dozens of new airlines competing with each other everyday, often resulting in pilots forced to fly at short notices.

The country has at present about 4,500-5,000 commercial pilots, and another 2,500 are undergoing training.