New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) Suspended pilot Capt Arvind Kathpalia was on Tuesday relieved from the charge of Director of Operations of Air India two days after he failed to clear breath analyzer test, minutes before he was scheduled to fly a Delhi-London flight.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in its order, “Relieving of Capt Arvind Kathpalia from the charge of Director (Operations), Air India Limited, with immediate effect.”
The national carrier also assigned Training Executive Director Capt Amitabh Singh additional charge of the post of Director (Operations), AIL with immediate effect till further orders.
On Monday, the licence of Capt Kathpalia was suspended for three years after alcohol was found in his blood during the breath analyzer test. However, he remained the Director of Operations in the Air India.
This was the second time when Capt Kathpalia was found positive for the BA test, the DGCA had said here.
Before this, on January 19, 2017, Capt Kathpalia operated an Air India Delhi-Bengaluru (AI 174) flight under the influence of alcohol. He operated the flight without undergoing the BA test. That time, his licence was suspended for three months with effect from February 7, 2017.
According to the Section-5 of the Civil Aviation Requirements, the flight crew is required to undergo pre-flight medical examination for detection of consumption of alcohol.
On Sunday, Kathpalia was to operate an Air India (AI-111) Delhi-London flight at 1445 hrs though he failed to clear Breath Analyzer (BA) test and was declared unfit to fly. He had 007 per cent blood alcohol which should be zero for the safe flying.
UNI SW SHK1805