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Air India Terminates Phuket-Delhi Flight Pilot After Testing Positive for Drugs

Air India said it will test all pilots after the incident injured 24 people and prompted investigators to recommend regulatory action.

  • Air India terminated the Pilot-in-Command of a Phuket-Delhi flight on Friday after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance, citing its zero-tolerance policy for safety breaches.
  • During an August 4 flight from Phuket to Delhi, the aircraft experienced a sudden altitude drop over Odisha, leaving 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured.
  • According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the aircraft lost all three hydraulic systems at 36,000 feet, causing an altitude upset with a 372-foot climb and 292-foot drop.
  • Following the incident, Air India implemented voluntary drug testing of 100 per cent of its pilots, stating "Safety remains Air India's highest priority."
  • The AAIB has not yet established the cause of the incident, with final findings depending on further analysis of flight recorder data as Air India continues extending full cooperation.
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NDTV broke the news in New Delhi, India on Friday, September 4, 2026.
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