The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday clarified that off duties pilots and aircrafts engineers are not allowed to travel in the cockpit.This comes a day after DGCA grounded an Air India Pilot for three-month as he was tested positive in a pre-flight breath analyzer test.The off-duty pilot was made to undertake the test after he requested to fly in the cockpit as an additional crew member."Airline officials such as pilots, aircraft engineers in the cockpit even they are on leave or have not been assigned any duty whatsoever prescribed are not allowed to travel in the cockpit," DGCA said in a statement"This practice is in violation (of rules) and also provides cover to officials while on leave/off duty and detected BA positive (having traces of alcohol in breath). Operations manual allowing this is void ab-into and stands repudiated with immediate effect," it added.
