Air India Expands Drug Testing to All Pilots After Captain Tests Positive for Marijuana
Air India said the checks go beyond regulatory requirements and will be done alongside training or after flights at airports and other bases.
- On Thursday, Air India and Air India Express launched mandatory, comprehensive substance testing for all pilots, covering prohibited substances and medications under aviation regulations.
- This initiative follows scrutiny of flight AI-2379, which experienced a sudden 300ft altitude drop over Odisha on August 4, after which the captain tested positive for marijuana.
- Over 5,000 pilots across Tata Group airlines will undergo screening at the Gurugram Academy and other designated bases, exceeding the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's 10% annual random testing requirement.
- The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is probing the incident with technical assistance from Airbus and France's BEA, while the Civil Aviation Ministry reviews international drug-testing practices for potential regulatory changes.
- Senior Vice President of Flight Operations Manish Uppal stated the airline feels it is "important to go further" to uphold safety standards and provide reassurance to passengers and stakeholders.
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Air India pilots will undergo mandatory anti-drug tests starting on Thursday (13), according to an internal note consulted by AFP, after a commander involved in a serious incident during a flight allegedly tested positive for cannabis. Incheon Airport, South Korea, surpasses English Heathrow and becomes the busiest in the world in international passengers. Fear: Car crashes with private jet on Milan airport runway and interrupts flights; video C…
Airline Air India is going to test its more than 5,000 pilots for drugs. This is reported by news agency Bloomberg, which has seen an internal email. The one-off measure follows a recent positive test for drug use by a captain after a sudden dive of an aircraft flying from Phuket in Thailand to the Indian city of Delhi.
Airline Air India is going to test its more than 5,000 pilots for drugs. This is reported by news agency Bloomberg, which has seen an internal email. The one-off measure follows a recent positive test for drug use by a captain after a sudden dive of an aircraft flying from Phuket in Thailand to the Indian city of Delhi.
The current regulations require airlines to check at least 10% of their aircrew for psychoactive substances every year. "We have decided to conduct a full screening of all pilots in the group to detect any substance or medication not authorized by the regulations in force," says the note. "These tests are mandatory and will begin today," she says. On 4 August, 24 passengers were injured when an Airbus A320 lost about 300 feet (91 meters) of alti…
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