Air India started testing all its pilots and copilots for psychoactive substances on Thursday—the first such group-wide exercise since the Tata Group took control of the airline in January 2022, two people familiar with the development said.
The mandatory one-time screening comes after the pilot-in-command of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for a banned substance, one of the two people said. The aircraft suddenly plunged about 300 feet while cruising last week and 20 passengers and four cabin crew members were injured. Air India and the ministry of civil aviation have not disclosed the identity of the pilot or detailed the test results.
The airline has decided to undertake a “full screening” of all group pilots for substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations, Manish Uppal, senior vice president—operations, Air India, said in a communication to pilots. Mint has reviewed the letter.
Meanwhile, in an address to employees outgoing chief executive officer Campbell Wilson said Air India will roll out annual salary increments for all employees, including ground staff and cabin crew, from 1 October, coinciding with the arrival of new leadership at the airline. The increment cycle had been deferred earlier this year, with the airline’s losses and the impact of the West Asia crisis weighing on the decision. Air India had also recently announced revised remuneration for pilots, which will take effect from the same date. The move comes as the airline continues to navigate higher fuel costs, geopolitical disruptions and airspace restrictions while investing in its workforce and operations.
Separately, Air India’s fleet transformation remains on track, with 16 Boeing 787-8 aircraft scheduled to undergo retrofit and return to service in 2027, taking the retrofit of the airline’s 787-8 fleet close to completion by the end of that year. The airline has already inducted three retrofitted 787-8s in 2026, with another four expected before year-end. It has also inducted three new Boeing 787-9s this year, with two Airbus A350-1000s expected later in 2026. Across the group, more than 100 new aircraft are planned to be inducted in 2027 and 2028, as Air India accelerates its fleet modernisation programme.
The airline said the exercise was being undertaken even though Air India already fully complies with requirements prescribed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator.
“Accordingly, we have decided to undertake a full screening of all Group pilots for any substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations,” Air India said in the email.
The communication did not refer to the Phuket-Delhi incident or to any specific pilot or test result. It only described the screening as a broader safety initiative covering the group’s pilots. Air India was yet to respond to questions from Mint.
The Air India group includes Air India and low-cost carrier Air India Express. Air India has a fleet of 181 planes with 3,500 pilots, while Air India Express has a fleet of 105 planes with about 1,500 pilots. Air India has Boeing and Airbus planes in its fleet.
The screening is being conducted at the airline’s Gurugram Academy, post-flight briefing centres, Air India offices and at locations provided by various bases, according to the communication. The one-time exercise goes beyond regulatory requirements and is intended to reassure passengers, stakeholders and the wider community, the people said.
Screening requirements
The DGCA requires at least 10% of pilots and air traffic controllers to be tested every year for psychoactive substances. Airlines are responsible for testing the urine samples of their pilots for specified drugs.
A sample that tests positive during initial screening is classified as “non-negative” and is sent for confirmatory testing. If the confirmatory test is positive, the testing establishment informs the DGCA directly.
A pilot testing positive for the first time is required to undergo rehabilitation or deaddiction and can return to flying after being certified fit. A second positive test can result in suspension of licence for three years, while a third occurrence can lead to permanent cancellation of the licence.
“This is more of a precautionary measure. The action idea is to keep pilots under discipline,” said Gagan Dixit, senior vice president, oil and gas and aviation, at brokerage firm Elara Securities. “These test results won’t be made public, so whether it will help restore public faith and confidence in the airline is not known.”
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), India’s aircraft accident investigation agency, is looking into the 4 August incident, where Air India’s Phuket-Delhi flight, an Airbus A320 with registration VT-EXO and operating as AI 2379, dropped 300 feet. The ministry called it a “serious incident.”
The AAIB is examining technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence, including flight-data recordings, aircraft systems, operational and maintenance records, medical information and interviews with people concerned. Apart from the pilot’s conduct, the investigation will cover alleged mechanical faults and their probable causes.
France’s Bureau of Enquiries and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety and representatives of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, which is based in Toulouse, France, are assisting the AAIB with technical information and design documentation.
Under scrutiny
The incident has triggered scrutiny of Air India’s operating procedures and the fitness of the cockpit crew. The ministry summoned outgoing chief executive officer Campbell Wilson earlier this week in connection with the incident.
“The airline has been under regulatory scrutiny for multiple incidents in recent times. So, post the Phuket incident, an internal action by Air India was expected,” Dixit said.
The incident comes a little over a year after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner heading to London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, killing 260 people.
The developments come amid a leadership transition at Air India and its parent organization Tata Sons. The airline said 5 August it appointed former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam to succeed Wilson. On Wednesday, N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said he will step down when his term ends on 20 February.
Market leader IndiGo said in a statement on Thursday that it implemented testing of flight crew for the use of psychoactive substances “several years prior” to the DGCA’s requirements issued in September 2021.
“All flight crew joining IndiGo undergo the said testing, while regular flight crew undergo testing on a random basis,” the airline said, adding that it goes beyond the 10% testing requirement.
“In addition, our cabin crew, engineering and ground staff are also subjected to such testing,” IndiGo said.