Aircrew to be unfit to fly for 48 hours after being innoculated: DGCA

As the innoculation process is gathering pace in the country, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday issued a circular for temporary unfitness for flying for all the cabin and cockpit (pilots) crew getting inoculated or are in middle of the innoculation

As the innoculation process is gathering pace in the country, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday issued a circular for temporary unfitness for flying for all the cabin and cockpit (pilots) crew getting inoculated or are in middle of the innoculation.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The aviation regulator said air crew getting inoculated will be monitored for 30 minutes at the Covid-19 vaccination centre for any anaphylactic and idiosyncratic reaction, following which, they will be termed to be medically unfit for flying for 48 hours after getting inoculated.

“We have laid down the protocol for vaccination of the flight crew and it will be applicable with immediate effect,” said Arun Kumar, director general of DGCA.

DGCA said any and every air crew that has no reactions even after 48 hours of getting inoculated, will be declared fit to resume their ‘unrestricted’ flying duties.

The circular read, ‘If, after 48 hours, the pilot experiences any symptoms, he/ she will be reviewed by treating physician/ company doctor or his/her AMA. Such pilots can be declared fit for flying duties provided they are asymptomatic without any medications and a ‘medical cure certificate’ to this effect to be obtained.’

However, DGCA clarified that if the air crew’s medical unfitness, post his/her inoculation is more than 14 days old, then a ‘special medical examination’ will be required to ascertain their fitness for operating flights.