NEW DELHI — Air India has ordered mandatory psychoactive-substance testing for all its pilots after the captain of a flight that suffered a sudden loss of altitude tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory screening, according to an internal company memo seen by Reuters.
The expanded testing will apply to pilots at Air India and its budget subsidiary Air India Express, with screening to be carried out during training, after flights and at designated locations including the airline's training academy in Gurugram and pilots' home bases, the memo said.
The move goes beyond India's current regulatory requirement for random testing of at least 10% of flight crew annually for psychoactive substances.
The decision follows an Aug. 4 incident involving an Airbus A320neo flying from Phuket to New Delhi that lost about 300 feet of altitude during cruise before stabilising and landing safely. India's civil aviation ministry said the captain's initial screening indicated psychoactive substances and that further laboratory testing was required. Reuters subsequently reported that a confirmatory test showed marijuana.
India's aviation authorities are investigating the incident, while the aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been secured for examination. Airbus is assisting the investigation.
Air India did not immediately provide a comment on the expanded testing programme in response to a Reuters request. The airline's new testing requirements are now being implemented, while investigations into the flight incident continue.
