When people think of aviation safety, mechanical inspections and flight protocols usually come to mind.

However, in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) goes a step further by imposing strict personal guidelines on pilots and cabin crew, some of which may surprise even seasoned travellers.

As per DGCA regulations, pilots and crew members are not allowed to use or carry certain alcohol-based products during a flight.

These include:

• Perfumes
• Hand sanitizers
• Mouthwash
• Tooth gel
• Any item containing ethyl alcohol

The reason for this unusual restriction lies in the mandatory pre-flight breathalyser tests.

These tests are highly sensitive and capable of detecting even 0.0001% alcohol levels. Minor exposure to alcohol-based products, even if not ingested, can result in a false positive, which could lead to a crew member being grounded or facing disciplinary action.

This regulation ensures complete sobriety of flight personnel before takeoff, a crucial aspect of passenger safety and operational reliability.

In a separate but related move to boost flight safety, the DGCA has also ordered inspections of the fuel control switch locking mechanisms on all Boeing aircraft in Indian fleets.

This directive comes after a preliminary report by the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the tragic Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad last month, which resulted in 260 deaths.

The AAIB report found that both engines shut down seconds after take-off due to a sudden cut-off in fuel supply, likely caused by a failure in the fuel control switch locking system.

These back-to-back actions by DGCA serve as a reminder that aviation safety goes beyond machinery.

It involves everything, from hardware and flight systems to crew behaviour and cockpit protocols.

While these rules may seem strict or excessive, they reflect a zero-compromise approach to safety, aiming to uphold the highest standards in Indian aviation.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on January 24, 2017

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/541140