DGCA to examine airport personnel for psychoactive substances, first phase at six airports

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the first time proposed to introduce regulation for the examination of aviation personnel for consumption of psychoactive substance like cannabis, opioid, and their various variants. This proposal is in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) policy and procedures that are prescribed by the leading aviation agencies.

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"DGCA for the first time proposes to introduce regulation for an examination of aviation personnel for the consumption of psychoactive substances like cannabis, opioids and their various variants. This is in line with ICAO policy and procedures have already been prescribed by other leading aviation agencies like Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) USA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)," said the DGCA in a statement on Friday.

1^st Phase- crew members to be examined at 6 airports

The flight crew members and air traffic controllers will be examined at six airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad during the first phase of the proposal. As per the regulation for the examination of aviation personnel, the random test will be carried out under the supervision of the DGCA officers and the screening test will be recorded in the form of a video by DGCA authorized laboratories.

Apart from random tests by the DGCA, organisation employing pilots and air traffic controllers will subject their employees to test for the consumption of psychoactive substances before employing a person, post-accident, random testing by organisation and follow-up testing of confirmed cases.

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Person will be subjected to rehabilitation if tested positive, DGCA

If any person is found positive in the screening test he/she will be removed from safety-sensitive duties until the results of the confirmatory test are received said DGCA in its statement.

"If the confirmatory test is also positive then the person will be subjected to rehabilitation and will return to active duties after having undergone the tests for the consumption of the psychoactive substance," added the statement.

If the person who has returned to safety-sensitive duties after rehabilitation and still tests positive in the confirmatory test, then the license of the involved person will be cancelled, DGCA informed.

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Portal will be open for public comment until April 2020

The regulatory body for civil aviation will soon put the content of the proposed regulation on its website for a period of 45 days for inviting public comments until April 2020. The final civil aviation requirement shall be published only after examining all the comments and making required suitable changes.