Four Spicejet pilots fail breathalyser tests in a week
Indian carrier SpiceJet is threatening to take stricter action after four of its pilots failed breathalyser tests in just seven days.
Flight operations chief Capt Gurcharan Arora emailed all pilots warning them of more severe penalties if pilots continue to test positive after routine breath tests.
Of the four who tested positive, three were commanders and one was a co-pilot.
Under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s rules, a pilot who fails the test gets a mandatory three-month suspension.
A second offence could result in grounding for three years and a further offense leads to the pilot license being revoked.
The email cited ‘more severe’ punitive action than this could be handed out if it the pattern continues.
"The fact that there are four events in a span of a week is clearly indicative that some pilots do not understand the gravity or implication of being tested positive for alcohol," the email said.
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