Air India sacks Phuket-Delhi pilot who tested positive for drugs, calls it a ‘zero-tolerance’ breach

AIR India has dismissed the pilot-in-command of its Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance, news agency PTI reported. "The Pilot-in-Command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for a psychoactive substance. In line with Air India's zero-tolerance approach to violations of safety, fitness or regulatory requirements, the pilot's employment has been terminated with immediate effect," the airline said in a statement.

The action came shortly after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary findings on the flight incident. The investigation body described the confirmed use of the substance by the pilot as a “serious concern” and urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take appropriate action on priority.

The AAIB's preliminary report said both pilots underwent medical checks after the aircraft reached Delhi. While their breath analyser results were satisfactory, the pilot-in-command's sample returned a non-negative result for a psychoactive substance.

A subsequent confirmatory blood test also returned a non-negative result. The co-pilot, meanwhile, tested negative.

Although the AAIB flagged the substance finding as a “serious concern”, its preliminary investigation did not conclude that the pilot's drug use caused the aircraft's altitude upset.

The broader probe into the incident, including its technical and operational aspects, is still underway.
Here's what happened

On 4 August, a Delhi-bound Air India flight from Phuket encountered 'clear air turbulence', resulting in a change in altitude. While the aircraft made a safe landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, reports suggested that at least 14 people, including crew members and passengers, sustained injuries.

Following the incident, Air India released a statement, saying, "Air India confirms that flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on 4 August, experienced a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude." The company added, "There have been no serious injuries as of now.

A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel."

What did the report reveal?

The agency said it has asked the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to take appropriate action, news agency PTI reported. Releasing a preliminary report in connection with the 4 August incident, in which an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, operated with an A320 aircraft, suddenly dropped 300 feet in altitude and left several passengers injured, the AAIB stated that a detailed investigation is currently underway.

In its interim safety recommendation, the probe agency said, "In view of a non-negative result for psychoactive substances for one of the flight crew, it is recommended that DGCA may take appropriate actions as deemed fit to prevent abuse of psychoactive substances."

According to the 10-page initial report, after the flight landed at the Delhi airport, at least 24 people received medical assistance, and at least four of them had sustained serious injuries.

The AAIB said that the pilot-in-command tested negative for psychoactive substances in the confirmatory test. It added, "The confirmation of use of psychoactive substances is a serious concern, and AAIB recommends appropriate actions by DGCA on priority."