Air India began testing all of its pilots for psychoactive substances on Thursday, August 13, the airline said. This is a step that goes beyond the current regulatory minimum. The move follows a sudden loss of altitude on a flight from Phuket to Delhi on August 4. After the incident, the captain reportedly tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test.
Flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo registered VT-EXO, dropped about 300 feet from a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet near Odisha. The crew then stabilised the aircraft and landed safely in Delhi, according to the PTI wire.
The jet was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew. At least 17 people were hurt in the initial count, including four cabin crew. However, that figure was later revised upward to 24 by several Indian outlets. The revised number was made up of 20 passengers and four crew.
The Phuket to Delhi corridor has featured in drug cases recently. For example, Indian customs seized about 1.5 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis hidden aboard a Phuket to New Delhi flight in July.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is examining the incident from both technical and human-factors angles. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation removed the pilot in command and the co-pilot from the roster, pending the investigation and the results of confirmatory drug tests, according to the PTI wire. The pilot in command’s confirmatory test returned positive for marijuana, Reuters reported. No finding of fault has been announced. The investigation remains open.
Causation is not yet settled. A purported post-flight maintenance report cited by Indian media recorded multiple technical warnings on the aircraft, including low pressure across the green, blue and yellow hydraulic systems, a flight-control fault affecting the elevators, and two autopilot disconnections during the journey. Investigators are expected to review flight-data and cockpit-voice recordings, maintenance records and crew statements before determining what caused the drop.
A preliminary report is expected within about two weeks. However, some reports put the timeline at up to a month. The route has seen other safety incidents too. Among them was an Air India Express jet left disabled on the runway after a hard landing in Phuket in March.
What the new testing covers
The policy applies to pilots at Air India and its budget arm, Air India Express. An internal memo cited by Reuters said the screening would run alongside training at the airline’s Gurugram academy. It would also take place after flights at briefing centres and offices, or at locations set by pilots’ home bases. In addition, Indian rules already require carriers to randomly test at least 10% of flight crew each year for psychoactive substances.
Air India said the expanded programme is meant to reinforce safety and passenger confidence beyond that baseline. Crew conduct on the same service has drawn scrutiny before, including an Air India pilot removed from a Phuket-Delhi flight over a positive alcohol test.
Air India did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the new policy. As of publishing, the airline had issued no public statement on the reported test result. The AAIB investigation into the August 4 flight continues.
The story Air India expands pilot drug testing after marijuana result as seen on Thaiger News.
