From 10% to 100%: Aviation ministry weighs annual dope tests for all pilots

The government is considering making annual dope tests mandatory for every pilot, instead of the current requirement covering 10% of the pilot network.NEW DELHI: The aviation ministry is considering mandating dope tests for all pilots at least once a year, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Tuesday.The current rules require dope testing of 10 per cent of the overall pilot network, but the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is examining whether testing can be expanded to cover every pilot at a random time during the year.“There are multiple ways of approaching this dope test. Right now, the rule says 10% across the overall pilot network. DGCA is engaging, and one of the opinions from our side is that everyone has to go through it in the year at a random time