Post Air India incident, DGCA bars off-duty crew members from travelling in cockpit

Aviation regulator DGCA Monday barred airline officials, including pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, from travelling in the cockpit when they are off-duty or on leave.

The regulator's directions came after an off-duty pilot of Air India tested positive in a pre-flight alcohol test on Saturday when he was scheduled to travel in the cockpit of a plane from Delhi to Bengaluru.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the national carrier to take strict action against the pilot.

This practice of off-duty or on leave officials is in violation of the Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) 3 of 1997, it said.

The DGCA also said this practice "provides cover to officials who are authorised to travel in the cockpit while on leave or off-duty and detected BA (breath-analyzer) positive".

In an order, the regulator said it has come to its notice that the Operations Manual Part-A of Air India permits travel of airline officials such as pilots and AMEs (aircraft ...