The High Court of Delhi on Monday suspended the mandatory breathalyzer tests for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) until 27 March and directed aviation authorities to devise new methods for tests.
The country’s ATC Guild sought the court's intervention on Monday to direct India's aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI), to temporarily suspend breathalyzeer testing to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
Earlier, the ATC Guild had approached Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to terminate the mandatory tests for ATCs that was introduced by the DGCA several months ago.
In its letter to PM Modi, the guild had said: “Sir, you can well understand the gravity of the situation. lf it is not stopped right now, it can even affect the general public as well".
According DGCA norms, 10 percent of the ATCs working on a shift are supposed to be randomly checked by aviation regulator staff.
ATCs have refused to undergo the tests fearing for their safety and security as only controllers who showed symptoms of infection were exempted from these tests earlier.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus or COVID-19 in India on 30 January, seven persons have lost their lives with 415 confirmed cases of infection, according to federal Health and Family Welfare Ministry.
The government has stepped up its measures to contain the virus by imposing a lock down in affected districts and cities and increasing the testing of suspected cases.
