Air India Takes Bold Step: Mandatory Drug Testing for All Pilots Begins

New Drug Testing Protocol for Air India Pilots

New Delhi: Starting Thursday, Air India and Air India Express will implement mandatory testing for psychoactive substances among all their pilots, a move that goes beyond the current regulatory standards. This decision comes in response to an incident where the captain of a flight from Phuket to Delhi tested positive for marijuana after the aircraft unexpectedly lost altitude.

The Tata Group-owned airlines employ over 5,000 pilots, and the new testing protocol will encompass all banned substances and medications as per aviation regulations, as communicated internally to the pilots.

Testing will occur during training sessions at Air India’s academy in Gurugram, after flights at briefing centers, and at designated locations based on pilots' home bases. While existing regulations mandate random testing of at least 10% of flight crews annually, Air India is extending this to include all pilots.

This initiative follows an incident on August 4 involving Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo, which lost approximately 300 feet in altitude during turbulence while carrying 145 individuals, including 137 passengers and eight crew members. The event resulted in injuries to at least 24 people.

The pilot in command, whose identity has not been disclosed, tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test after initially screening positive for a psychoactive substance. This incident is under investigation as aviation authorities and airlines increase scrutiny regarding pilot fitness and adherence to regulations concerning psychoactive substances.