SINGAPORE: From the end of this month, all pilots at Changi and Seletar airports will be subject to random alcohol tests as part of more stringent measures to clamp down on those who drink and fly.
Pilots found to be operating under the influence of alcohol may be fined up to S$50,000 (1.17 million baht) or face a jail term of up to two years, or both, for the first offence, TODAY reported.
Repeat offenders may be fined up to S$100,000 or get up to five years’ jail, or both, it added.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which announced the measures on Thursday, also said that all five Singapore Air Operator Certificate holders will have to implement an alcohol management programme by May 1 this year to identify, manage and rehabilitate pilots with problematic use of alcohol.
The AOC holders are Singapore Airlines (SIA), Jetstar Asia Airways, Scoot Tigerair, SilkAir and ST Aerospace Engineering.
The tougher rules come after an SIA flight from Melbourne, Australia to Wellington, New Zealand was cancelled because the pilot failed an alcohol test in September last year.
Following the incident, Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport, said in Parliament that the aviation regulator launched a review of its regulations to “more strongly deter such behaviour”.
CAAS added that the regulations were developed in consultation with the aviation community. It will also complement actions taken by other airlines, pilot associations and unions, the statement added.
Breath tests for alcohol
When a particular flight is selected for alcohol testing, the pilots reporting for duty will have to undergo breathalyser tests.
They will first be tested with a portable breathalyser, which will indicate if a pilot has passed or failed.
If a pilot fails the test, he or she will then have to go for a confirmatory test, which provides a reading of the breath alcohol content.
The permitted limit is 0.02 grammes of alcohol for every 210 litres of breath.
If the confirmatory test result shows that the pilot has exceeded the limit, he or she will be removed from flight duties immediately. The airline concerned will be notified.
The alcohol limit has been determined based on international best practices, CAAS said.
“It is equivalent to a ‘zero tolerance’ standard, with a small allowance for the potential presence of alcohol in the breath due to other factors such as medication or mouthwash,” it added.
Alcohol management programmes
The five operators will also need to implement a programme -- subject to CAAS’s approval -- to help pilots with problematic use of alcohol.
Their programmes should include confidential peer and self-reporting systems, to allow them to identify pilots with such problems.
Operators will have to conduct “risk-based” random alcohol tests on pilots, for example, during periods where an increase in alcohol use is anticipated.
Rehabilitation programmes involving healthcare professionals and peer-support networks must also be set up to help pilots stay away from alcohol while on duty.
Foreign airlines are also strongly encouraged to implement similar programmes, CAAS said.
The authority's director-general Kevin Shum said: "The safety of aircraft operations, passengers and crew on board is paramount. CAAS and the aviation community take a serious view of pilots operating aircraft under the influence of alcohol.
"The new alcohol testing and management programmes will help ensure that pilots' ability to operate aircraft is not impaired by alcohol."