Air India's director of operations steps down after failing pilot breath tests

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Air India's director of operations, who failed two breathalyser tests before he was scheduled to be a pilot on a London to New Delhi flight on Sunday, has stepped down from his job and from the company's board, an official at the airline told Reuters on Tuesday.

He was asked to resign by India's civil aviation ministry, the official said.

The ministry's directive comes only a day after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended the license of the senior pilot, Arvind Kathpalia for three years.

This is the second time Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests.

Kathpalia, who said on Sunday he had not been drinking and was the victim of internal feuding, could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Martin Howell)