Air India Silent on Drug test

 

NEW DELHI, August 10, 2026 — Air India said Sunday it has not yet received the results of a post-flight drug screening conducted on the pilots of a turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi flight, breaking its silence

amid widespread reports claiming the captain of the aircraft had tested positive for psychoactive substances. The airline's statement came days after Flight AI2379 experienced a sudden, sharp loss of altitude while cruising over Odisha, an incident that injured passengers and crew and has since been classified as a "Serious Incident" under investigation by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The Incident

Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 bearing registration VT-EXO, was operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 when it encountered severe mid-air turbulence, causing the aircraft to drop approximately 300 feet in altitude. The flight was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, along with eight crew members comprising two pilots and six cabin crew. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the aircraft subsequently stabilised and continued on to Delhi, landing safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Reports indicated that nearly 20 passengers and crew members sustained injuries during the sudden altitude change, with several taken to hospital for evaluation; most were later discharged after check-ups.

Airline's Statement

Addressing the swirl of speculation around the crew's post-flight medical evaluations, Air India issued a formal statement clarifying its position. "We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings," an airline spokesperson said. The carrier added that it "undertakes regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations, independent of any specific flight or operational incident," and said it would "continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as required."

The statement was notable for what it did not say: at no point did Air India confirm or deny reports that the pilot-in-command had failed the screening, instead repeatedly emphasising that the formal results had not been communicated to the airline by regulatory authorities.

Confirmatory Test Ordered, Pilots Grounded

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the initial drug screening of the pilot-in-command returned a result requiring confirmatory testing. Samples have been sent to a designated laboratory for further analysis. Pending the outcome of that process, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken both flight crew members off the roster, with further action to depend on the results of the investigation and the confirmatory test.

Under India's civil aviation drug-testing framework, aviation personnel are screened for a defined panel of psychoactive substances, including amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Rules mandate that airlines and air navigation service providers randomly test at least 10 percent of flight crew and air traffic controllers annually, alongside pre-employment screening. A positive initial screening is required to be followed by a confirmatory test at a DGCA-approved laboratory before any punitive action, including licence suspension or cancellation, can be taken.

Pilots' Body Urges Caution

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has called for restraint in drawing conclusions before the investigation concludes. FIP president Captain C.S. Randhawa said the final report should be awaited before any judgment is passed, while acknowledging that if the pilot is ultimately confirmed to have tested positive, the consequences could extend to cancellation of his flying licence. The federation's cautionary stance reflects broader concerns within the pilot community about reputational and procedural fairness in cases still pending confirmatory analysis, given that initial screening tests can sometimes return results later overturned on further examination.

Regulatory Scrutiny Continues

The AAIB's classification of the episode as a Serious Incident means it will be subject to a formal investigation process similar in rigour to that applied to accidents, examining not only the drug-test question but also the circumstances of the turbulence encounter itself, including weather conditions, crew response, and aircraft systems performance during the altitude excursion. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has indicated that the drug screening was conducted "as part of the prescribed procedure" following the incident, rather than as an isolated or targeted measure against the crew involved.

The case has drawn significant public attention in India, both for the safety implications of a commercial aircraft carrying more than 140 people experiencing a sudden altitude loss, and for the broader questions it raises about crew fitness-for-duty protocols at India's national carrier. Air India, which has faced heightened safety scrutiny following other recent incidents involving its fleet, has sought to project transparency by publicly confirming that testing protocols were followed, even as it withholds comment on the substantive findings until they are formally communicated by regulators.

As of Sunday, neither the DGCA nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation had issued a definitive public statement on whether the pilot's initial screening result would be upheld following confirmatory analysis. Both the airline and pilot representative bodies have indicated they will await the outcome of that process before further comment, leaving the central question of what caused the positive initial screening — and what it means for the pilot's career — unresolved for now.