This is the 1st instance in the country of an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) testing positive for a psychoactive substance after the rules for the testing of the flight crew and ATCs for psychoactive substances came into force in January 2022, they stated.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation
An Air Traffic Controller at the Delhi airport has tested positive for a psychoactive substance and has been removed from duty by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), sources stated on Sunday.
This is the first instance in the country of an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) testing positive for a psychoactive substance after the rules for the testing of the flight crew and ATCs for psychoactive substances arrived into force in January 2022, they told.
The sources told that an ATC posted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here was subjected to a drug test.
The person was found positive in the confirmatory test report received on August 18 and he has been removed from the ATC duty, the sources said.
The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) detailing the procedure for examination of the aviation personnel for consumption of psychoactive substances came into effect on January 31. The test is done for the flight crew and ATCs on a random basis.
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Since the rules were implemented, three pilots of different airlines have been found positive after the confirmatory test and are being dealt with as per the provisions of DGCA regulations, the sources stated.
Air traffic control
As per the CAR, in case the result of the confirmatory drug test is positive for the 1st time, then the person concerned will be referred to a de-addiction center by the organization concerned for a de-addiction and rehabilitation.
If the same person tests positive for the second time or their license will be suspended for 3 years. And if the violation happens for the third time, then the particular personnel’s license will be revoked.
In the introduction to the CAR, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mentioned that the worldwide spread of the use of psychoactive substances, their general availability, and the ever-increasing number of addicted users is a serious concern to aviation safety.
“Their use causes behavioral, cognitive, and physiological changes. This manifests in dependence, major health-related problems, and negative effects on performance,” it stated.
Citing a study conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the information published in February 2019, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told that alcohol, cannabis, and opioids are the next most commonly used psychoactive substances in India.
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