Jet Airways, AI pilots suspended for being drunk on overseas flight

New Delhi - The licence of the Jet Airways pilot, has been suspended for three months while that of the Air India pilot for three years since he was a second-time offender.

A pilot of private carrier Jet Airways and another of state-owned Air India were grounded and their licences suspended after being found drunk before operating their overseas flights.
The licence of the Jet Airways pilot, who was to operate its flight to Paris from Mumbai, has been suspended for three months while that of the Air India pilot for three years since he was a second-time offender, sources said.
The Air India pilot was to operate the airline's flight to Birmingham from Delhi.
"Both the Jet Airways and Air India pilots have been grounded by the airlines and their licences suspended by the aviation regulator, DGCA, for three months and three years respectively," sources said.
In India, pilots are suspended for three months after the first such violation, three years after the second and their licences are cancelled if caught for a third time.
Also, unlike other countries that have random alcohol testing policies, DGCA regulations mandate a 100-per cent screening for the crew of Indian carriers before every flight departing from an Indian airport and after every flight arriving into the country.
Significantly, Jet Airways has had the maximum number of pilots reporting drunk for duty. As many as 38 of its pilots, including its subsidiary JetLite, were found under the influence of alcohol between 2013 and 2015, according to DGCA data.
Seeking to downplay the issue of its pilot reporting to duty drunk, Jet Airways said it has undertaken "significant" efforts to enhance "sensitisation" towards the ill effects of alcohol in internal training sessions.
"However, in cases of non-compliance, the airline takes appropriate disciplinary action after requisite investigations as per company policy," it added.
When contacted, Air India also said it had grounded the pilot for three years after the incident was brought to its notice.
 

• India