Experts Share Why Pilots in India Avoid Wearing Perfume or Using Hand Sanitiser Right Before Flight
- Pilots in India are advised to avoid using alcohol-based products like perfumes and hand sanitisers before flying
- Experts have shared why most pilots avoid products like mouthwash, perfumes and hand sanitisers right before a flight
- Aviation activities in India became a global interest after an Air India plane crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, leading to the death of 241 persons on board
Experts have shared why pilots in India avoid wearing perfume or using hand sanitiser before flying a plane.
According to the guidelines of India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), before every flight, pilots undergo a mandatory breathalyser test to ensure that they are not under the influence of alcohol.
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As reported by the Indian Express, since sanitisers, mouthwash, and perfumes are alcohol-based products, they contain ethyl alcohol, the same compound measured in breathalysers.
According to experts, the alcohol content in the products may interfere with the test results.
Why should pilots avoid perfumes before flying?
The secretary general of the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India), Captain Anil Rao, was quoted as saying:
“If a pilot uses hand sanitiser or sprays perfume just before a test, and there’s alcohol vapour in the air or mouth, it may cause a false positive or elevated reading.”
Rao said aviation breathalysers (used by DGCA or airline authorities) are often calibrated and require deep lung air, not just mouth vapours.
He added:
“In most airlines, pilots are asked not to use alcohol-based products immediately before a test. If a high reading is detected, retesting is done after a short wait for a repeat test.”
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The director of Golden Epaulettes Aviation, Captain Tomar Awdhesh, said:
“The breathalyser device is so sensitive that it can detect 0.0001 per cent of alcohol. So if pilots have applied perfume, it may detect alcohol from perfume and show a false positive result, even if no alcohol has been consumed.”
He said that such results may delay the flights, and pilots might have to face disciplinary action regardless of their intent.
Awdhesh noted that after the breathalyser test, some pilots may decide to still use perfumes.
He added:
“Once the breathalyser test is done, they use perfume as per their requirement. It’s simply a matter of safety and compliance with DGCA guidelines.”
Aviation activities in India became a global interest after an Air India plane crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, leading to the death of 229 passengers and 12 crew members.
Meanwhile, the owners of Air India mentioned the amount they would pay to the families of the victims of the tragic plane crash.
Teenage boy killed by Air India crash
In a related story on Legit.ng, a teenage boy, Akash Patni, who was resting near his family's tea stall, was tragically among those killed in the crash that shook Ahmedabad in India.
When the crash happened, the boy’s mother, Sita, who was unaware that her son was sleeping nearby, managed to run.
Akash’s mother, Sita, survived with injuries and was in the ICU, unaware that her son had died just metres away.
Source: Legit.ng
