DGCA to examine flight crew, air traffic controllers for psychoactive substances like cannabis

For the first time, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed to introduce regulation for the examination of aviation personnel for the consumption of psychoactive substance like cannabis, opioid, and their various variants.

In the first phase, flight crew members and air traffic controllers will be examined at six airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

"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 FAA USA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)," said the DGCA in a statement on Friday.

Under the regulation for the examination of aviation personnel, the random test will be carried out under the supervision of the DGCA officers by DGCA authorised laboratories and screening tests will be recorded on the video. Besides random tests by the DGCA, organisation employing pilots and air traffic controllers will subject their employees to test for the consumption of psychoactive substance -- before employing a person, post-accident, random testing by organisation and follow-up testing of confirmed cases.

According to 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.

"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.

According to DGCA, if after return to safety-sensitive duties a person again tests positive in the confirmatory test, the license of the involved person will be cancelled.

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 till April 2020. The final civil aviation requirement shall be published only after examining all the comments and making required suitable changes.