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PHOTO FILE: The Air India logo is visible on the facade of its office building in Mumbai, India, on July 7, 2017. Photo taken on July 7, 2017. REUTERS / Danish SiddiquiReuters
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Indian Air Safety Controller on Monday suspended the license of an experienced pilot of Air India, who is also the airline's operations director, for three years, a day after the airline's flight. Failure of two breathalyzers before a flight between London and London Delhi.
This is the second time that Arvind Kathpalia has problems with alcoholism. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take a breathalyzer test.
"The privileges of his license have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable regulations," said a spokesman for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA ) in a statement.
Kathpalia, who also sits on the board of directors of the airline, could not be contacted immediately for comment.
On Sunday, he said he would dispute the test results and claimed to be the victim of an internal feud within the state-owned deficit airline.
An Air India spokesperson could not be immediately contacted for comment.
India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world, with about 20% growth in the number of passengers flying domestic and international flights in the world. in recent years.
According to data from the DGAC, more than one million flights left the country during the last financial year ended March 31.
Between 2015 and 2017, 132 Indian pilots failed a breathalyzer test during mandatory pre-flight screening, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu told Parliament in August.
Of these, 112 pilots were first offenders and their pilot license was suspended for three months. Fifteen pilots were repeat offenders and their license was suspended for three years, Prabhu said.
A pilot's license, which failed for the third time, was canceled and four expatriate pilots lost their foreign license for failing the exam.
In 2017, Kathpalia was suspended for three months for refusing to take a breathalyzer test before and after a return flight between Bangalore and New Delhi in January 2017, according to a court document available on the Indiakanoon legal portal.
Last August, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, a union representing the state-owned carrier's pilots, filed a lawsuit against Kathpalia, demanding that it take tough action against them for its missed breathalyzer tests.
Kathpalia was appointed Director of Operations in June 2017. According to the job description of the time, he is responsible for air operations, ground operations, flight safety and training operations.
It is not clear if these remain the specifications of the job. It is also unclear whether he will retain his position as Director of Operations and serve on the Air India Board of Directors.
(Additional report by Promit Mukherjee in Mumbai, edited by Martin Howell and Darren Schuettler)
Copyright 2018 Thomson Reuters.
