Two more Air India pilots test positive for psychoactive substances

The pilots have been removed from the duty roster and their samples sent for confirmatory tests as Air India continues its one-time mandatory screening exercise

Two more pilots of Air India Group have tested positive for psychoactive substances during the airline’s ongoing one-time mandatory screening of pilots, people familiar with the matter said.

 

The special screening was launched after the pilot-in-command of the Phuket-Delhi flight, which suddenly lost around 300 feet in altitude injuring 24 people onboard on August 4, tested positive for marijuana following the incident.

 

Sources said that two pilots have so far tested positive during the special screening exercise, which began on August 13. Around 300-400 of the roughly 5,000 pilots—from both Air India and Air India Express—across the Air India Group have been tested so far, they added.

 

“The two pilots have been removed from the duty roster. Their samples have been sent for a second (confirmatory) test, as per the regulator’s rules,” a source mentioned.

 

Air India did not respond to Business Standard’s request for a statement on the matter.

 

The pilot-in-command of flight AI2379, which was flying from Phuket to Delhi, had initially returned a “non-negative” result in a screening test for marijuana. A subsequent confirmatory test also came out positive.

 

The incident injured 20 passengers and four crew members. The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, later landed safely in Delhi.

 

Both the pilot-in-command and co-pilot were removed from the flying roster after mandatory post-flight screening. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the incident, which has been classified as a “serious incident”. Airbus and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) are assisting with the probe.

 

After the positive test, Air India on August 13 began the one-time mandatory screening. In a mail to pilots on August 13, the airline said it had decided to conduct a “full screening” for substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations.

 

The airline said the testing would be conducted alongside training at its Gurugram academy, after flights at flight briefing centres and Air India offices, or at locations provided by pilots’ respective bases.

 

Air India said the initiative went beyond regulatory requirements and was aimed at upholding safety standards and reassuring passengers and other stakeholders.

 

The airline already conducts random testing of pilots and other aviation personnel for psychoactive substances as required under Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulations. This random testing was continuing separately from the one-time exercise.

 

Under the DGCA rules, aviation personnel liked on duty are selected randomly for testing. A first confirmed positive test does not automatically lead to cancellation or suspension of a pilot’s licence. The pilot is instead referred for a de-addiction or rehabilitation programme and can return to flying only after completing the programme, passing another urine test and obtaining fresh medical fitness clearance.

 

The regulations prescribe progressively stricter consequences for repeat violations. A second confirmed violation can result in a three-year suspension of the pilot’s licence, while a third violation can lead to cancellation of the licence.

 

Air India’s internal rules are understood to be stricter than the DGCA’s minimum requirements. Sources had earlier said the airline could take disciplinary action against the pilot-in-command of the Phuket-Delhi flight based on the findings of its internal inquiry, with the seriousness of the incident and injuries sustained by passengers and crew likely to be considered.

 

The AAIB has cautioned against drawing conclusions from incomplete or unverified information while its investigation is underway. It has said records, statements, medical information and other material gathered during the probe are protected and confidential under the applicable investigation framework.

 

The special screening comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India’s safety standards following the crash of flight AI171 in June last year, which killed 260 people. The Phuket-Delhi incident has further raised concerns over passenger confidence in the airline.

 

Air India’s outgoing Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson was summoned to the Ministry of Civil Aviation last week to brief senior officials on the Phuket-Delhi incident. He also met officials from the ministry and the DGCA, who asked him to address the airline’s various departments on the matter.