Air India on Thursday announced mandatory pre-departure substance-abuse screening for all its pilots, days after the pilot-in-command (PIC) of a Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost altitude last week tested positive for marijuana.
Twenty-four people, including four crew members, sustained injuries after the Phuket-Delhi AI2379 flight experienced a sudden 300-foot drop in altitude while cruising. Air India had initially attributed the incident to turbulence. The pilot-in-command (PIC) later tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test.
The tests will screen for substances and medications prohibited under aviation regulations. They will be conducted alongside training sessions at the airline’s Gurugram academy, after flights at briefing centres and offices, or at locations designated by the pilots’ home bases.
Pilots of the budget subsidiary Air India Express will also undergo testing. Air India did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Under existing regulations, airlines are required to randomly test at least 10% of their flight crew for psychoactive substances each year.
“We nevertheless now feel that it is important to go further,” Air India stated in the memo, adding that the initiative aims to uphold safety standards and provide reassurance to passengers and other stakeholders.
The decision comes as authorities investigate an August 4 incident involving an Air India Airbus A320neo flying from Phuket to Delhi that suddenly lost about 300 feet (91 metres) of altitude during cruise.
The captain of the flight tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test, according to a source familiar with the matter.
