‘Drunk’ AI director loses licence for 3 yrs
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai:13.11.2018
A day after Air India director (operations) Captain Arvind Kathpalia failed the breathalyser test before he was to operate a Delhi-London flight, the civil aviation regulator on Monday suspended his pilot licence for three years.
A top Directorate General of Civil Aviation official said since Capt Kathpalia tested positive for BA (blood alcohol) on November 11, the privileges of his licence had been suspended for three years from that day. The 56-year old Capt Kathpalia is among ten directors on the board of Air India.
The aviation ministry is “contemplating appropriate action in view of his testing positive”, a top official said, adding that the ministry was considering whether it would be appropriate for Capt Kathpalia to continue on the AI board as director of operations. A final decision is expected soon.
Being the director (operations), Capt Kathpalia is in charge of overall management of Air India’s flight operations. He is in charge of ensuring safe and efficient flight operations. He was promoted to the post in March last year, while only a month before that, in February, the DGCA had suspended his pilot licence for 3 months for skipping pre-and post-flight breathalyser tests and tampering with medical records.
Alcohol in pilots’ blood is not a criminal offence in India
In India, the relevant DGCA air safety norm states that “the level of blood alcohol compatible with safe flying is ‘zero’, which is also recommended by International Civil Aviation Organization’’. But reporting for duty with alcohol in blood isn’t a criminal offence under Indian aviation norms. The enforcement action is suspension of licence for 3 months for a first-time offender and suspension of licence for 3 years for a second-time offender. Pilot licence is cancelled after the third offence.
Capt Kathpalia came under the scanner on January 19 last year when he operated an AI Delhi-Bengaluru flight. Neither did he undergo the mandatory preflight breathalyser test in Delhi nor did he agree to a post-flight breathalyser test in Bengaluru, according to Air India pilots union, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association. Following an investigation, on February 15, 2017, the DGCA suspended Capt Kathpalia’s licence and he was removed for 3 months. March 31, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his appointment as director (operations) . The ICPA moved the Delhi high court and a few months ago, filed an FIR against him and Lalit Gupta, former joint director, DGCA, as ordered by the court.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai:13.11.2018
A day after Air India director (operations) Captain Arvind Kathpalia failed the breathalyser test before he was to operate a Delhi-London flight, the civil aviation regulator on Monday suspended his pilot licence for three years.
A top Directorate General of Civil Aviation official said since Capt Kathpalia tested positive for BA (blood alcohol) on November 11, the privileges of his licence had been suspended for three years from that day. The 56-year old Capt Kathpalia is among ten directors on the board of Air India.
The aviation ministry is “contemplating appropriate action in view of his testing positive”, a top official said, adding that the ministry was considering whether it would be appropriate for Capt Kathpalia to continue on the AI board as director of operations. A final decision is expected soon.
Being the director (operations), Capt Kathpalia is in charge of overall management of Air India’s flight operations. He is in charge of ensuring safe and efficient flight operations. He was promoted to the post in March last year, while only a month before that, in February, the DGCA had suspended his pilot licence for 3 months for skipping pre-and post-flight breathalyser tests and tampering with medical records.
Alcohol in pilots’ blood is not a criminal offence in India
In India, the relevant DGCA air safety norm states that “the level of blood alcohol compatible with safe flying is ‘zero’, which is also recommended by International Civil Aviation Organization’’. But reporting for duty with alcohol in blood isn’t a criminal offence under Indian aviation norms. The enforcement action is suspension of licence for 3 months for a first-time offender and suspension of licence for 3 years for a second-time offender. Pilot licence is cancelled after the third offence.
Capt Kathpalia came under the scanner on January 19 last year when he operated an AI Delhi-Bengaluru flight. Neither did he undergo the mandatory preflight breathalyser test in Delhi nor did he agree to a post-flight breathalyser test in Bengaluru, according to Air India pilots union, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association. Following an investigation, on February 15, 2017, the DGCA suspended Capt Kathpalia’s licence and he was removed for 3 months. March 31, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved his appointment as director (operations) . The ICPA moved the Delhi high court and a few months ago, filed an FIR against him and Lalit Gupta, former joint director, DGCA, as ordered by the court.
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