Believe it or not, the answer varies depending on where your flight departs from -- and where it lands.
There are no standardized international rules on pilot alcohol consumption and testing. Instead, the International Civil Aviation Organization issues guidance and then countries set their own regulations, limits, testing regimes and punishments.
Despite being a rarity, it's an issue that has received extra attention after a series of high profile incidents. In late December, a pilot was found passed out in the cockpit before a scheduled Boeing 737 flight in Canada. In mid-2016, two pilots were arrested in Scotland on suspicion of violating alcohol rules before a flight to New Jersey.
The December arrest prompted Canada to take another look at its rules. The European Union is also considering changes.
Here's a look at how the rules work:
In India, which boasts the world's strictest rules, pilots aren't allowed to drink within 12 hours of a flight and must have absolutely zero alcohol in their system.
"0.001% is also a violation," said Lalit Gupta, a senior official at India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
In the U.S., pilots are allowed to have a trace amount of alcohol in their system -- up to 0.04% blood alcohol concentration -- and must have eight hours between "bottle to throttle". (The 0.04% level is half the 0.08% legal limit for U.S. drivers on the roads.)
Alcohol testing also varies by country: India subjects pilots to a breathalyzer test before each of its 2 million annual flights, while the U.S. conducts between 11,000 to 13,000 random alcohol checks in a typical year.
The U.S. tests caught 10 pilots violating the rules in 2015.
India's stricter regulations caught 46 pilots in 2016, according to the country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
"If you set a zero percent tolerance limit and test everyone, you're going to have more positives," said James Stamp, global head of aviation at KPMG. "It's just a fact."
In Europe, each nation sets their own alcohol rules and then airlines develop and implement compliance procedures.
In India, pilots have their license suspended for three months after a first offense, and three years after a second offense. A third offense means they're booted from the profession for life. India does not offer a rehabilitation program for pilots.
24/02/17 Alanna Petroff/CNN Money
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There are no standardized international rules on pilot alcohol consumption and testing. Instead, the International Civil Aviation Organization issues guidance and then countries set their own regulations, limits, testing regimes and punishments.
Despite being a rarity, it's an issue that has received extra attention after a series of high profile incidents. In late December, a pilot was found passed out in the cockpit before a scheduled Boeing 737 flight in Canada. In mid-2016, two pilots were arrested in Scotland on suspicion of violating alcohol rules before a flight to New Jersey.
The December arrest prompted Canada to take another look at its rules. The European Union is also considering changes.
Here's a look at how the rules work:
In India, which boasts the world's strictest rules, pilots aren't allowed to drink within 12 hours of a flight and must have absolutely zero alcohol in their system.
"0.001% is also a violation," said Lalit Gupta, a senior official at India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
In the U.S., pilots are allowed to have a trace amount of alcohol in their system -- up to 0.04% blood alcohol concentration -- and must have eight hours between "bottle to throttle". (The 0.04% level is half the 0.08% legal limit for U.S. drivers on the roads.)
Alcohol testing also varies by country: India subjects pilots to a breathalyzer test before each of its 2 million annual flights, while the U.S. conducts between 11,000 to 13,000 random alcohol checks in a typical year.
The U.S. tests caught 10 pilots violating the rules in 2015.
India's stricter regulations caught 46 pilots in 2016, according to the country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
"If you set a zero percent tolerance limit and test everyone, you're going to have more positives," said James Stamp, global head of aviation at KPMG. "It's just a fact."
In Europe, each nation sets their own alcohol rules and then airlines develop and implement compliance procedures.
In India, pilots have their license suspended for three months after a first offense, and three years after a second offense. A third offense means they're booted from the profession for life. India does not offer a rehabilitation program for pilots.
24/02/17 Alanna Petroff/CNN Money
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