Delhi High Court Upholds Pilot's License Suspension Over Alcohol Use

The Delhi High Court denied relief to a pilot whose license was suspended after testing positive for alcohol, reiterating the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) strict zero-tolerance policy. The court emphasized that passenger safety cannot be compromised. The incident occurred in 2020 while the pilot was serving with Air Asia (India) Ltd.

The safety of passengers can never be compromised. The Delhi High Court has refused to grant relief to a pilot whose flying license was suspended after testing positive for alcohol through a breath analyser test.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates a strict zero-tolerance policy for blood alcohol content. There should be no detectable blood alcohol in breath, urine, or blood alcohol analysis as per Civil Aviation Rules (CAR), which set the permissible limit at 0.000.

The court noted that the petitioner, at the time of flight operation, should not have been under the influence of any alcoholic drink, sedative, or stimulant drug, which could pose a serious threat to passenger safety.

Consequently, the pre-flight breath analyser test is conducted following the CAR. The petitioner tested positive twice, leading to suspension of his license for three years—a decision confirmed by the DGCA.

The court, headed by Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, stated that unnecessary leniency towards the pilot would endanger passenger safety and dismissed the petition seeking to overturn the suspension.

In 2020, the incident occurred when the pilot, serving as a Command (Captain) with Air Asia (India) Ltd., was rostered for an urgent flight from Delhi to Kolkata.

The pilot claimed he was not under the influence of alcohol or any narcotics and attributed his condition to medication taken for a recent ailment. However, the DGCA enforced its mandatory rules, prioritizing passenger safety above all.

(With inputs from agencies.)