NEW DELHI, Aug 13 (Alliance News): Air India will begin mandatory substance testing for all pilots from Thursday, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements after a pilot involved in a serious mid-air incident tested positive for marijuana, according to an internal company memo.
The new testing programme will screen pilots for substances and medications prohibited under aviation regulations.
The tests will be conducted alongside training sessions at the airline’s Gurugram academy, after flights at briefing centres and offices, or at locations designated by pilots’ home bases.
Pilots of Air India’s low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, will also be included in the expanded testing programme.
Current aviation regulations require airlines to randomly test at least 10% of their flight crew annually for psychoactive substances. However, Air India said it had decided to strengthen its safety protocols beyond the mandatory requirements.
“We nevertheless now feel that it is important to go further,” the airline said in the memo, adding that the initiative aims to uphold the highest safety standards and reassure passengers and other stakeholders.
The decision follows an investigation into an August 4 incident involving an Air India Airbus A320neo operating from Phuket to Delhi, which suddenly lost about 300 feet (91 metres) of altitude while cruising.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the aircraft’s captain later tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test.
Air India did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
