Air India Orders Dope Tests for All Pilots After Phuket-Delhi Captain Tests Positive for Marijuana

New Delhi: Air India and Air India Express have decided to make psychoactive substance testing compulsory for all their pilots from Thursday, August 13. The move will cover more than 5,000 pilots across the two Tata Group-owned airlines and comes days after the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for marijuana following a sudden loss of altitude during the flight. 

The mandatory screening is being introduced as a proactive safety measure and is aimed at checking whether pilots are using any substances or medications prohibited under aviation regulations.

According to sources, both airlines informed their pilots through an internal communication that comprehensive screening would be carried out for substances and medications that are not permitted under existing regulations.

The tests will take place alongside training sessions at the Gurugram Academy. Pilots will also be screened after flights at flight briefing centres, airline offices or other locations designated by their respective bases. 

The airlines have said the exercise is intended to maintain the highest standards of safety and reassure passengers, stakeholders and the wider public.

The decision follows the case of the pilot-in-command of Air India flight AI2379, which was flying from Phuket to Delhi on August 4. The pilot tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test after the aircraft suffered a sudden loss of altitude of around 300 feet while cruising.

What do DGCA rules say about pilots and drugs?

Under Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulations, crew members cannot consume alcohol, sedatives, narcotic drugs or stimulant drug preparations within 12 hours before starting a flight. Such substances are also prohibited during the flight.

However, the rule does not mean that a pilot is automatically fit to fly once 12 hours have passed. A crew member cannot report for duty while intoxicated or with detectable blood alcohol. A licence holder is also barred from exercising the privileges of the licence if they are under the influence of a psychoactive substance that could affect their ability to safely perform their duties.

In other words, the 12-hour rule is not a clearance to fly if alcohol remains detectable or if a substance has impaired a pilot's ability to operate an aircraft safely.

What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight?

Air India flight AI2379, operated by an Airbus A320 registered as VT-EXO, encountered a sudden loss of altitude of approximately 300 feet during its August 4 journey from Phuket to Delhi. The aircraft later stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. At least 17 people, including four cabin crew members, were injured. The incident is being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The pilot's positive marijuana test has added another layer of scrutiny to the incident. At the same time, a purported post-flight maintenance report has pointed to several technical warnings recorded during the aircraft's journey.

The report lists repeated low-pressure warnings involving the aircraft's green, blue and yellow hydraulic systems, along with low fluid levels in the yellow and blue hydraulic reservoirs.

The aircraft also recorded two separate autopilot disconnections. Other warnings included faults involving the left and right elevator flight-control systems, engine anti-ice messages and indications concerning the forward and aft emergency exit doors on the right side.

The AAIB investigation will establish what caused the flight's sudden loss of altitude. Meanwhile, Air India's decision to begin mandatory psychoactive substance testing across its pilot force marks a major immediate safety measure following the incident.