Pilots' body urges DGCA to raise annual random drug testing to 25%

FIP has also proposed oral-fluid testing alongside urine tests and a 12-month pilot programme to assess its reliability, operational feasibility and cost

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Monday urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to increase random drug testing among pilots, saying the current minimum coverage of 10 per cent a year is no longer sufficient for India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector.

 

The pilots’ body proposed that at least 25 per cent of pilots be randomly tested each year, with pilots allowed to be selected more than once.

 

Under the existing DGCA rules, scheduled commercial aircraft operators and air navigation service providers are required to conduct random psychoactive substance testing of at least 10 per cent of their aviation personnel per year.

 

 

“For pilots entrusted with the lives of passengers and crew, random psychoactive substance testing must be sufficiently frequent, genuinely random, and unpredictable to provide meaningful deterrence and continuous safety assurance,” FIP said in its letter dated August 17.

 

“The objective should not merely be to achieve an annual numerical target but to establish a testing regime in which the possibility of selection remains credible throughout the year,” it observed.

 

“FIP therefore respectfully recommends that DGCA consider increasing the present minimum annual random testing coverage from 10 per cent to at least 25 per cent of pilots, while permitting repeat selection of individuals and introducing a risk-based mechanism for additional testing wherever objectively warranted,” it said.

 

FIP’s representation comes after the August 4 incident involving Air India’s AI 2379 Phuket-Delhi flight, which suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude, injuring 24 flyers. The pilot-in-command subsequently tested positive for marijuana. Air India then began one-time mandatory drug testing of all pilots. Two pilots have failed the drug tests so far in the mandatory screening.

 

FIP, in its letter, also asked the regulator to introduce oral fluid, or saliva, testing alongside the existing urine-based system. It said the additional testing method could make random checks faster and easier to conduct at airports, allowing the regulator and airlines to test more pilots without causing major disruption to flight operations.

 

In its representation, FIP said oral fluid testing should complement rather than replace urine testing. It proposed using saliva testing for random, targeted, and high-volume screening while retaining urine testing in cases where its longer detection window or other medical and regulatory requirements make it more suitable.

 

“While the existing urine testing system has an established regulatory and laboratory framework, FIP believes that the increasing scale of Indian aviation operations warrants consideration of additional testing methodologies that can increase testing capacity, reduce operational disruption, and facilitate rapid testing at airports and other operational locations,” the federation said.

 

FIP proposed a 12-month pilot programme to test whether oral fluid testing can work reliably alongside urine testing in Indian aviation. The proposed study would examine the accuracy of the tests, collection time, crew downtime, testing capacity, laboratory confirmation, chain-of-custody requirements, and the overall cost of the testing programme.

 

The pilots’ body also said that detecting a substance in a test should not automatically be treated as proof that a pilot was impaired. A non-negative screening result should be followed by confirmatory laboratory testing and medical review before a final regulatory or employment decision is made.

 

FIP separately called for a ‘Check Before You Take’ programme to educate pilots about prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbal preparations, supplements, and alcohol-containing medicines. It wanted pilots to have confidential access to aviation medical professionals who can advise them on whether a medicine could affect their fitness to fly or create an issue during drug testing.

 

The federation also recommended mandatory initial and recurrent awareness programmes for pilots, as well as medication advisory systems and digital safety guides that airlines could provide to their crew.