2 more Air India pilots fail drug screening test after Phuket-Delhi flight fiasco

The development comes days after the Air India group introduced mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all its pilots from August 13, following the Phuket-Delhi flight fiasco involving an Air India pilot.Sources said around 300-400 pilots have undergone the screening so far, and the testing process is continuing.Two Air India group pilots have returned non-negative results in the initial mandatory psychoactive substance screening, sources told India Today. Their samples have now been sent for confirmatory testing, and the final results are awaited.A non-negative result means the initial screening has detected a substance or chemical marker that requires further testing. It does not mean the pilots have been confirmed to have consumed a prohibited substance. The confirmatory test will establish whether the initial result is a true positive.The development comes days after the Air India group introduced mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all its pilots from August 13, following the Phuket-Delhi flight incident involving Air India flight AI2379.Sources said around 300-400 pilots have undergone the screening so far, and the testing process is continuing. So far, two pilots have been flagged in the initial screening, sources said. Their samples are now undergoing further analysis to establish whether a psychoactive substance was consumed.WHAT HAPPENED ON THE PHUKET-DELHI FLIGHTThe expanded testing follows the August 4 incident involving Air India flight AI2379, which was flying from Phuket to Delhi when the Airbus A320 suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude during cruise. The aircraft later stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. The incident left passengers and crew members injured. Both pilots underwent mandatory psychoactive substance screening after the incident. While the co-pilot's screening did not raise a similar concern, the initial test of the pilot-in-command returned a result that required further analysis. Both pilots were taken off the flying roster pending the test and the investigation.The pilot-in-command subsequently tested positive for marijuana in the confirmatory test, sources told India Today. The development brought greater scrutiny to substance testing among flight crew and was followed by the decision to expand screening across the Air India group.The drug test is, however, only one part of the wider investigation into what happened on AI2379.India Today's reporting found that the investigation had widened after a post-flight maintenance report recorded 11 system alerts within two to three minutes, including three hydraulic low-pressure warnings followed by an autopilot disconnection.Another report found that the aircraft had suffered multiple technical issues, including hydraulic failures and an autopilot disconnect, as investigators examined what caused the sudden altitude loss.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is examining the incident, including the aircraft's systems, flight data and the sequence of events. There has been no conclusion that the pilot's drug test caused the altitude loss.AIR INDIA EXPANDS DRUG TESTING TO ALL PILOTSAir India introduced mandatory psychoactive substance screening for all its pilots from August 13 following the Phuket-Delhi incident. The exercise covers pilots across the Air India group, including Air India Express.The move goes beyond the existing random-testing requirement and is intended to strengthen checks on pilots for prohibited psychoactive substances. The airline said the expanded testing would be carried out across its pilot bases and training facilities.The latest two results have emerged as part of that wider screening exercise.Sources said around 300-400 pilots have been tested so far, with the process continuing.The two pilots' samples have now been sent for confirmatory analysis. Until those results are available, the initial screening results cannot be treated as confirmed cases of psychoactive substance use.The distinction is important because an initial screening is designed to flag samples that require further examination. A confirmatory laboratory test is needed before a final positive result can be established.For now, the two pilots remain under further examination as Air India's wider testing programme continues.- EndsPublished By: Devika BhattacharyaPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 12:19 IST