“Alcohol Testing Cannot Be Completely Exempted”: Delhi High Court Issues Directions For Breath Analyzer Test At Airports

Observing that the testing for alcohol “cannot be completely exempted in as much as the same could be detrimental to passenger safety”, the Delhi High Court issued slew of directions for the administration of Breath Analyzer Test at all airports for all ATCs, pilots, cabin crews and other personnel. A single judge bench comprising of Justice Pratibha M Singh issued the following directions:
– All the personnel shall be bound to give an undertaking and a declaration that they have not been exposed to alcoholconsumption in the last 12 hours before duty, in terms of the DGCA’s applicable regulations. The said undertakings and declarations would be compulsory for all personnel.
– After the undertakings are given, insofar as the administration of the Breath Analyser test is concerned, the doctor and any other paramedic/nursing personnel on duty, would take a Rapid Antigen Test prior to joining the duty, in the testing area, to ensure, as far as possible, that they do not have COVID-19 andthey are also not likely to transmit it, being asymptomatic.