# Air India to drug-test all 5,000 pilots after Phuket incident

2026-08-14T06:16:37+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Air India and Air India Express will start mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all 5,000-plus pilots from Thursday, following an incident where the pilot of a Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for marijuana. The August 4 flight on an Airbus A320 suddenly lost 300 feet of altitude mid-air, injuring 24 of the 145 people on board. The testing will be conducted at airline facilities including the Gurugram academy, flight briefing centres and bases. The Tata Group-owned carriers said the proactive move aims to ensure the highest safety standards and reassure passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) framework currently relies on pre-recruitment and random checks, but experts quoted by The Federal say the incident exposes gaps in the system.

## Coverage

- rediff.com <https://www.rediff.com/news/report/air-india-to-conduct-drug-test-for-all-pilots-after-phuket-incident/20260813.htm>
- thefederal.com <https://thefederal.com/category/news/air-india-pilot-drug-case-phuket-delhi-safety-debate-253557>

Tags: Air India, aviation safety, DGCA, marijuana, Phuket incident, pilot drug test
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