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India has some of the strictest alcohol rules for crew (file photo).
Pilots in India may soon have to forego a splash of fragrance as the country’s civil aviation regulator looks set to ban perfumes.
The reason isn’t because of complaints that some crew may be using it a bit too liberally, but because perfume contains alcohol which could result in false positive breathalyser test results.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is looking to amend current safety regulations with a new clause which states “no crew member shall consume any drug/formulation or use any substance such as mouthwash/tooth gel/perfume or any such product which has alcoholic content”, reports The Hindu newspaper.
Ethyl alcohol is used in perfumes and can make up to 95% of a bottle of Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum. It is used to dilute the perfume concentrate so that it can be safely applied to the skin.
India has some of the strictest alcohol rules for crew, according to aviation site Paddle Your Own Kanoo. It states that in 2022, 41 Indian pilots and 116 cabin crew had their licences temporarily suspended after testing positive for alcohol.
The current safety rules also warn against having a few too many drinks the night before a shift.
“Even 12 hours after a bout of drink, when blood alcohol level remains zero, there is decrement in task performance. Alcohol present in body even in small quantities jeopardises flight safety on several counts and is likely to adversely affect an aviator well into the hangover period.”