Air India to test all pilots for drugs after captain's possible positive result

Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express, will implement comprehensive drug and medication testing for all pilots. This decision follows an incident where the commander of a flight allegedly tested positive for marijuana, leading to injuries among 17 passengers.

The airline stated in an internal circular, as reported by NDTV, that it is crucial to go "beyond" current protocols. Consequently, the company has decided to conduct a full screening for all pilots within the group to detect any prohibited substances or unauthorized medications. This measure takes immediate effect and significantly expands the testing regime from the previous 10% random checks mandated by national regulations to 100% of the pilot staff.

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We consider it important to go beyond now. Therefore, we have decided to carry out a complete screening of all pilots in the Group to detect any prohibited substance or medication.

The move comes after a flight, AI2379, operated by an Airbus A320 with 137 passengers and eight crew members, experienced a sudden loss of altitude of over 90 meters on August 4th. This severe incident, classified as "serious" by India's Ministry of Civil Aviation, resulted in injuries to 17 people. Initial tests on the flight captain were inconclusive, requiring further laboratory analysis, which reportedly confirmed the presence of marijuana, according to investigation sources cited by local media.

Both pilots involved in the August 4th incident remain suspended pending the outcome of the investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Air India has been under intense scrutiny since June 2025, when another of its flights crashed shortly after takeoff en route from Ahmedabad to London, killing all 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. Only one survivor was reported from that earlier tragedy.

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The corresponding detection test for the Pilot in Command (PIC) indicated a result that requires confirmatory tests. Consequently, samples have been sent to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis, pending the final report.