India Proposes Ban on Perfume Use by Pilots and Flight Attendants

A newly proposed regulation in India could also take action against pilots who use perfume.

India’s Office of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which oversees the country’s aviation industry, has proposed an update to its bylaws regarding alcohol consumption.

The proposed law reads;

“No crew member shall consume any drug/formulation or use any substance such as mouthwash/tooth gel/perfume or any such product which has alcoholic content. This may result into positive breath analyzer test.”

“Any crew member who is undergoing such medication shall consult the company doctor before undertaking flying assignment.”

While perfumes can contain trace amounts of alcohol, it’s unclear if wearing perfume on one’s body can trigger a false positive breath test.

The official air safety requirements for the DGCA were ratified in August 2015. The proposed addition is up for public comment through October 5.