Aircrew’s alcohol test at four Kerala airports suspended
NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator DGCA has stopped the pre-flight breathalyser (BA) test for the crew operating out of Kerala’s four airports during the next 15 days in the wake of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak. However, the crew members will compulsorily undergo postflight BA tests at the next immediate city where they land.
THE CREW WORKING IN FLIGHTS DEPARTING FROM ANY ONE OF KERALA’S 4 AIRPORTS WILL COMPULSORILY UNDERGO POST-FLIGHT BA TESTS AT THE NEXT CITY THEY LAND
NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator DGCA has stopped the pre-flight breathalyzer (BA) test for the aircrew operating out of Kerala’s four airports during the next 15 days in the wake of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak. The breathalyzer (BA) test measures whether a person is drunk or not.
“The mandatory BA test for flight crew who are operating out of Kerala’s airports has been stopped for the next 15 days in light of coronavirus situation,” a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. He, however, added that the crew working in flights departing from any one of Kerala’s four airports — Calicut, Kannur, Trivandrum and Cochin — will compulsorily undergo post-flight BA tests at the next immediate city where they land.
A total of 811 people have died of the coronavirus infection so far while the number of confirmed cases has gone up to 37,198, according to latest data by Chinese authorities.
India has, so far, reported three novel coronavirus cases.
The three Indians – all of them in Kerala - had tested positive for the virus so far prompting the Kerala government to declare a health emergency. That step was later scaled down. Many families have been quarantined in the state and their health is being monitored daily. The Indians tested positive for the disease are students who recently returned from China’s Wuhan city, the epicentre of the virus outbreak.
The virus has spread rapidly since emerging late last year in China, killing more than 800 people in the mainland and infecting over 37,000. Cases have been reported in two dozen other countries.
The DGCA had stated on Saturday that foreigners who have been to China on or after January 15 won’t be allowed to enter India.
The aviation regulator, in its circular to airlines on Saturday, reiterated that all visas issued to Chinese nationals before February 5 have been suspended.
However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified, “These visa restrictions will not apply to aircrew, who may be Chinese nationals or other foreign nationalities coming from China.”
“Foreigners who have been to China on or after January 15, 2020, are not allowed to enter India from any air, land or seaport, including Indo-nepal, Indo-bhutan, Indo-bangladesh or Indo-myanmar land borders,” the DGCA said.
Among Indian airlines, Indigo and Air India have suspended all of their flights between the two countries. Spicejet continues to fly on Delhihong Kong route. On February 1 and 2, Air India conducted two special flights to Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of the outbreak, evacuating 647 Indians and seven Maldivians.