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Aviation experts cautions regulators on consequences of DGR violations

As part of hand hygiene guidelines, ICAO and IATA has allowed passengers and airline crew to carry ‘alcohol-based liquid sanitiser’ up to 100 ml in carry-on baggage or in person

Aviation experts have cautioned the regulators of the sector on the dangerous consequences on safety and security in the sector due to lack of clarity on various parameters of Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) compliance. They feel that the regulatory requirements have been compromised to help the airline operators in the current economic situation thereby putting safety of passengers at risk.

According to experts, the regulators have overlooked some of the relevant guidelines issued by the WHO, and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) with respect to the regulatory compliance particularly regarding the transport of dangerous goods on board aircrafts. They point out lack of clarity and proper briefing with regard to carrying of alcohol-based liquid sanitisers inside the aircraft and transportation of Covid-19 specimens and patient cultures in passenger aircrafts.

As part of hand hygiene guidelines, ICAO and IATA has allowed passengers and airline crew to carry ‘alcohol-based liquid sanitiser’ up to 100 ml in carry-on baggage or in person. On May 13, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security,India, through an addendum allowed passengers to carry alcohol-based liquid hand sanitisers up to 350 ml in their carry-on baggage or person, for travel from and within India. Unfortunately, these eligibility or additional allowances available to the passengers are neither mentioned in the Guidelines /SOP’s nor publicised through any media and hence the travelling public in India are kept in the dark, says Biji Eapen, an international DGA instructor approved by IATA and DGCA.

While allowing the alcohol-based liquid sanitisers containing Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol on board of aircrafts, which are flammable or combustible liquid, there is no mechanism to check and regulate the actual ethanol or isopropyl alcohol content in the given volume of the liquid. “ICAO Technical Instructions amended the rules to allow Airlines for adding alcohol-based hand sanitiser into the operators property, subject to approval from the Regulators based on the chemical name and manufacturer’s data. It is important to note that, the flashpoint of a flammable liquid may be altered by the presence of any impurity and recent media reports says that, several manufacturers and vendors in India are manufacturing and selling hand sanitisers containing Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol with 60-95% in volume due to the lack of appropriate regulatory control by government authorities,” Eapen says.

In the case of transportation of Covid-19 specimens and patient cultures, which the WHO has classified infectious substances under class 6.2 of dangerous goods, as per the regulatory procedures, any significant changes, or amendments in dangerous goods regulations, the airlines and ground handling companies are responsible to update and train their staff according to job responsibilities.

“We want MoCA & DGCA to instruct all Aviation stakeholders in India to take adequate measures to regularise the lapses urgently otherwise passengers will be at risk. Also, requested the regulators that passengers should be advised on the actual quantity of alcohol based sanitiser which can be carried,” Eapen said.

As a certified DGR instructor and Director of Speedwings Aviation Academy, an IATA and DGCA accredited DG School, Eapen said that he is ready to extend free DGR Awareness e-Learning training to all employees of airlines and ground handling companies in India about the recent DGR changes. “Aircraft Act 1934 and Rules 1937 mandates all concerned employees working with airline and ground handling must be trained or updated with up-to-date changes,” he stated.

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