Two Air India pilots fail preliminary drug tests

Two more Air India Group pilots have failed preliminary drug tests as part of expanded screening ordered after an August 4 Phuket-Delhi flight incident. The pilots' samples have been sent for confirmatory testing, and they have been de-rostered pending results. According to sources cited by Assamtribune and Greater Kashmir, around 400 pilots have undergone testing so far, with the two returning "non-negative" initial results.

The Tata-owned carrier made psychoactive substance testing mandatory for all pilots from August 13, going beyond regulatory requirements. The move followed the August 4 incident on Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo that suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude during cruise. The pilot-in-command later tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test. The Economic Times reports that the captain told investigators he had been prescribed sleeping pills due to personal problems, which he claimed caused the positive result.

Final test results typically take 24 to 48 hours. The aviation ministry has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to revise the testing framework, increase the proportion of personnel subject to mandatory dope tests, and impose tougher penalties for positive results. Air India has not officially commented.