Bengaluru, June 26: An Air Hostess, who recently became a pilot for state carrier Air India, was grounded for three months after she reported tipsy for her flight on Sunday.

A senior Air India official, while speaking to reporters, said she was scheduled to co-pilot the AI 583 flight, travelling from Bengaluru to Trivandrum. However, she failed the mandatory pre-takeoff breathalyser test.

As per the rules laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a pilot is grounded for three months if he fails to pass the breathalyser test. For second violation, the penalty exceeds to three years. If tested positive for the third time, the ban would extend to a lifetime.

Post-flight breathalyser tests are also conducted on international flights, where booze is allowed on-board for the commuters.

In 2016, the DGCA had registered the filing of FIRs against two pilots and three cabin crew members who failed in the post-flight BA tests. The regulatory body said the pilots and crew members, who were part of the cockpit, put the passengers' lives in jeopardy by getting high onboard.

Those pilots who fail the post-flight BA tests are also grounded, with the duration of ban being a year longer than those who fail the pre-takeoff breathalyser tests.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2018 06:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).