Air India orders mandatory drug tests for all pilots
Air India will conduct mandatory drug screening for all its pilots starting Thursday, according to an internal memo seen by AFP. The decision follows an August 4 incident in which an Airbus A320 lost about 300 feet (91 meters) of altitude shortly after departing from Phuket, Thailand, for New Delhi, injuring passengers.
The memo stated: "We have decided to undertake a full screening of all Group pilots for any substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations. Testing is mandatory and will start today." Existing rules already require airlines to randomly test at least 10 percent of their flight crew for psychoactive substances each year.
The August 4 incident
The move comes after local media reported that the main pilot of the Phuket-Delhi flight had smoked marijuana and tested positive in a second confirmatory test. Air India said the results have not been shared with them. Indian investigators have not commented on the reports but said they are closely examining evidence linked to the flight. The inquiry is being supported by Airbus and France's civil aviation safety agency, the BEA.
Two pilots of the Air India Group have returned non-negative preliminary results in tests for psychoactive substances, according to The Hindu Business Line, with confirmatory results awaited to establish the use of prohibited substances. The pilot-in-command of the August 4 flight also returned a non-negative preliminary screening result.
Reports on the number of injuries vary: Dawn reported at least 24 passengers were injured, while The Hindu Business Line cited 20 passengers and four crew members. The aircraft suffered a sudden loss of altitude of around 300 feet during cruise before stabilizing and landing safely in Delhi.
Voluntary self-declaration initiative
Separately, Air India Express, a Tata Group-promoted airline, has introduced a voluntary self-declaration process for employees to report the use, misuse, dependence on, or abuse of psychoactive substances, as reported by The Hindu Business Line. Employees can make declarations through the airline's safety reporting platform or designated e-mail addresses, in accordance with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) civil aviation requirements (CAR).
The initiative, outlined in a safety circular titled "Safety Circular 04 of 2026 - Self Declaration for Use of Psychoactive Substances," emphasizes strict confidentiality, with declarations shared only on a need-to-know basis with authorized personnel. Its stated objective is to promote safety, employee wellbeing, early intervention, and recovery. Sources told The Hindu Business Line that the initiative is not a reaction to any specific incident and is positioned as a proactive safety and wellbeing measure. Industry insiders suggested other airlines may follow suit.
Context and recent challenges
The incident and the subsequent screening come as Air India seeks to overhaul its operations following a string of setbacks. In June 2025, London-bound Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. Last week, the airline appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive.
As the mandatory screening of all pilots begins, the airline faces the challenge of restoring confidence in its safety protocols amid ongoing investigations and the wait for confirmatory test results.