Airline says mandatory checks for prohibited substances go beyond existing DGCA requirements and aim to strengthen safety and passenger confidence.
Air India has mandated screening of all pilots across the group for prohibited drugs, medications and other substances, with the new checks coming into effect from Thursday (August 13).
In a communication to pilots, Air India said the initiative was an “additional significant step from a safety perspective” and would go beyond existing regulatory requirements.
The airline said it “already fully complies with all safety regulations prescribed by the DGCA”, adding that the regulations are in line with those followed in major aviation countries.
The mandatory screening will be conducted during training at the Gurugram Academy, after flights at Flight Briefing Centres and Air India offices, or at locations designated by individual bases.
Air India said the screening will check for “medications and other substances whose use is prohibited under the applicable regulations.”
The move comes amid growing focus on psychoactive and prohibited substance testing among pilots, with airlines facing increasing scrutiny over pilot fitness and passenger safety.
Air India said the objective is to “maintain the highest standards of safety and further strengthen passenger confidence”.
The failed drug test
The pilot-in-command of Air India’s Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost 300 feet in altitude last week tested positive for a psychoactive substance in the confirmatory test. After the incident, both pilots of the flight underwent the prescribed psychoactive substance screening test.
More from BusinessCivil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and senior officials met with the Air India CEO and other executives to discuss the incident earlier this week.
On August 4, Air India’s Airbus A320 aircraft with registration VT-EXO, operating the flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden altitude variation of approximately 300 feet during cruise. The aircraft, which had 145 people onboard, subsequently stabilised and landed safely in the national capital.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is being assisted by French agency BEA and Airbus in the probe, said 20 passengers and four cabin crew members were injured in the incident.
The probe
As the AAIB probes the serious flight incident that happened on August 4, leaving at least 24 people injured, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, along with other senior executives, met Naidu, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and other officials.
After the meeting, Naidu said safety in aviation is the top most priority and there should not be any compromise from any side.
“The screening test in respect of the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing. Samples have accordingly been sent to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis, and the final report is awaited,” the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement on August 9.
Pending completion of the investigation and testing process, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had taken both flight crew members off the roster.
AAIB said it is presently engaged in the systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence.
“This includes examination of the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, relevant operational and maintenance records, medical information, and interviews with persons concerned. All material evidence will be examined in its entirety before any conclusions are drawn,” it said in a statement.
France’s Bureau d’enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA) and Airbus are providing technical assistance to AAIB in the probe.
According to AAIB, the sole objective of the investigation is to determine the circumstances and contributing factors relating to the occurrence and to identify appropriate safety measures to prevent recurrence.
“The investigation is independent, evidence-based and comprehensive, and no inference regarding the cause of the occurrence should be drawn from any isolated piece of information while the investigation is in progress,” it noted.
Further, AAIB appealed to all concerned, including the media and the public, to respect the investigation process and refrain from drawing conclusions on the basis of incomplete, unverified or selectively available information.
“The AAIB will conduct a thorough investigation covering all material facts and relevant evidence and will issue its preliminary findings within the stipulated timeframe in accordance with the applicable provisions and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) protocols. Further information will be placed in the public domain at the appropriate stage of the investigation,” the probe agency said.
With respect to the use of psychoactive substances, Naidu said the issue was being taken very seriously and that the ministry was ready to tweak regulations if needed.
“We are continuously studying it (the issue) and DGCA also, we have asked updates on that… we are taking it very very seriously. If we feel that present regulations are not up to the mark… then, we will respond very seriously… improve whatever needs to be done,” he told reporters after the meeting.
What do DCGA norms say?
Under the norms of aviation watchdog DGCA, if a pilot or an aviation personnel is tested positive for drugs, the person is referred for a rehabilitation programme. In case the same person is tested positive in the test, then the person’s licence is suspended for three years.
If the violation happens for the third time, then the person’s licence is cancelled.
(With inputs from agencies)
