‘Exempt ATC staff from breath tests’

NEW DELHI: Shortage of manpower is plaguing Delhi’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) with at least 21% of staff are either down with Covid-19 or are in isolation. In the wake of the increasing Covid-19 cases detected among the controllers, the controllers’ guild has written to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), requesting it to suspend breath analyser tests that enhance the risk of infection.

According to officials in Delhi ATC, as many as 85 of the total 402 air traffic controllers are either Covid-positive or are in quarantine.

“While at least 55-60 controllers used to work in a shift earlier, the strength has now reduced to 35-40 controllers. In order to deal with any crisis, we do have at least 10-12 controllers as back up at all times. The situation is somewhat under control as the air traffic movements per day have fallen to around 700 from 1,000,” said an official who asked not to be named.

The letter from the controllers’ guild read that the machine used for the breath analyser test did not have the potential to transmit the virus but the environment in which the test is conducted needs to be given due consideration. “The BA test is conducted in a small closed room for air traffic controllers (ATCOS), while undergoing BA test, mask is removed and exhalation is done in BA test machine. This process can release droplets inside room, which may affect subsequent officer undergoing BA test,” read the letter dated April 25.

JB Singh, general manager, corporate communications, AAI, declined to respond on the request made by the guild to do away with BA tests.