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A total of 189 people working at 59 Indian airports were found drunk on duty in the first half of this year, marking a 32 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
About half of the 189 workers who failed the mandatory alcohol tests were drivers, it said.
While many of the workers who failed the alcohol tests were employed by airport operators, a significant section of them were employed by other companies -- catering companies, ground handling companies, and aircraft maintenance companies -- that work at the airport.
In the first half of 2023, DGCA records show that 96 individuals employed at 46 Airports Authority of India (AAI)-operated airports failed alcohol tests, marking an increase from the 66 workers at 40 AAI-run airports recorded during the same period in 2022.
Business Standard has reviewed the DGCA data.
When asked, the AAI gave a different set of statistics.
'In the January-June period of 2023, 69 workers at 34 AAI-run airports failed the breath analyser (BA) tests, while during the corresponding period in 2022, 16 workers at 14 airports failed the tests. The reason behind the increase could be that in 2022 DGCA relaxed the number of BA tests to be carried out on account of COVID-19.'
The AAI said it has taken action against workers who failed the BA tests in accordance with DGCA norms, emphasising a zero-tolerance policy for employees who report for duty in an inebriated state.
In the first half of 2022, 143 people working at 50 airports in India failed the alcohol tests.
The airport where the highest number of workers (25 workers) failed the alcohol tests between January and June this year was the Delhi airport, which is run by the GMR Group-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).
DIAL told Business Standard that when an employee is found under the influence of alcohol, it takes "punitive" action as per DGCA regulations.
DIAL also conducts periodic audits of the ground handling agencies and airlines to check if their BA test procedures are in line with the DGCA regulations.
Since prevention is key to addressing this issue effectively, airport personnel -- working at the Delhi airport -- are briefed about this alcohol ban during their safety training, DIAL stated.
After the Delhi airport, the Adani Group-run Mumbai airport was at number two with 23 workers failing the alcohol tests in the first six months of 2023.
Thirteen workers at six other Adani Group-run airports also failed the BA tests in H1 of 2023.
The Adani Group did not respond to queries sent by Business Standard.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), which runs the Hyderabad airport, also did not respond to the newspaper's queries.
The number of workers at the Hyderabad airport who failed the BA tests jumped from two in H1 of 2022 to 11 in H1 of 2023.
As per DGCA data, seven individuals working at Bengaluru airport were found to be under the influence of alcohol while on duty during the first half of 2023.
However, Fairfax-led Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) -- which runs the Bengaluru airport -- told the newspaper that four personnel failed their BA tests in H1 of 2023 and none of them were its direct employees.
"Appropriate actions have been initiated against such staff by their respective employers and reports have been shared directly by the employers with DGCA," it added.
While 91 of the 189 workers who failed the mandatory alcohol tests between January and June were drivers, people from other professions such as aircraft technicians, loaders, push-back operators, maintenance personnel, ramp supervisors, specialist bird scarers, and aircraft rescue and firefighting services personnel also failed the alcohol tests, as per DGCA data.
Aviation regulator DGCA had in September 2019 issued rules for BA tests for all airport workers.
As per the rules, the airport operator concerned (such as AAI) has to regularly conduct these random alcohol tests on not just its own employees, but staff of other companies who work at the airport.
As per the rules, at least 10 per cent of the personnel of each such company working at the airport must be randomly subjected to BA test on a daily basis.
If any personnel are tested positive for alcohol for the first time, or refuses to undergo the test, or attempts to evade it by leaving the airport premises, then he or she must be kept 'off duty' and their 'licence/approval' must be suspended for three months, the rules noted.
The rules stated that 'In case of second violation of the provisions, the licence/approval issued by DGCA of the concerned personnel shall be suspended for a period of one year.'
According to DGCA, the aviation personnel under the ambit of the September 2019 rules include aircraft maintenance engineers, other technically trained persons authorised to carry out maintenance of aircraft, vehicle drivers who drive fuelling and catering vehicles, equipment operators, aerobridge operators, marshallers, personnel manning apron control, ground handling services personnel as well as ATC personnel.
The pre-flight alcohol tests on pilots and cabin crew members are conducted by the airlines concerned, stated another set of DGCA rules.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
