New Delhi: Air India’s sweeping screening of its pilots has returned “non-negative” initial results for psychoactive substances in two of around 300 pilots tested so far, a person familiar with the matter said. The results, which still require confirmation, come as the Tata-backed airline steps up checks on its cockpit crew following the recent Phuket-Delhi incident.
The airline began mandatory testing of its entire pilot workforce on 13 August.
A “non-negative” result does not by itself establish that a pilot has consumed a prohibited substance. This requires a second set of confirmatory tests.
The development comes days after the pilot-in-command of the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight returned positive for a banned substance in a confirmatory test, according to people familiar with the matter. Air India and the civil aviation ministry have not publicly disclosed the identity of the pilot or details of the test.
The airline’s one-time screening covers pilots across the group that included Air India and Air India Express, covering 5,000 pilots. Air India has around 3,500 pilots operating 181 aircraft, while Air India Express has around 1,500 pilots with a fleet of 105 aircraft.
The screening was ordered after an Air India Airbus A320, flying from Phuket to Delhi on 4 August, experienced a sudden altitude variation of around 300 feet during cruise before stabilizing and landing safely in Delhi. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members that included two pilots. Twenty passengers and four cabin crew members were injured, according to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The civil aviation ministry has classified the occurrence as a “serious incident”, following which the AAIB took up the investigation. The agency is examining technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence, including flight-data recordings, aircraft systems, operational and maintenance records and interviews with people concerned.
Airbus had also flagged technical issues with the aircraft in an initial report to Air India, although the cause of those issues has not been established, people aware of the matter said.
Under the existing Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules, airlines have to randomly test at least 10% of their pilots every year for psychoactive substances. Air India’s one-time exercise, therefore, goes substantially beyond the minimum regulatory requirement.
The testing involves urine samples being screened for specified drugs. If an initial test detects one or more substances, the result is classified as “non-negative” and the sample is sent for confirmatory testing. If the confirmatory test is positive, the testing establishment directly informs the DGCA.
For a first confirmed positive, the DGCA rules require a pilot to undergo rehabilitation or de-addiction and permit a return to flying only after certification of fitness. A second positive can result in suspension of the pilot’s licence for three years, while a third occurrence can lead to permanent cancellation of the licence.
In a communication sent to pilots last week, and reviewed by Mint, Air India said it had decided to undertake a “full screening” of all pilots for substances or medications not permitted under prevailing regulations.
The screening is being conducted alongside training at Air India’s academy in Gurugram, post-flight at flight briefing centres or Air India offices, and at locations provided by the respective bases.
Air India’s communication did not specifically refer to the Phuket-Delhi incident or the pilot’s test result. Instead, it described the exercise as a broader safety initiative aimed at protecting passenger trust.
The initiative comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India following the June 2025 crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad, which took 260 lives. The final report into that accident, also investigated by the AAIB, is awaited.
The Phuket-Delhi incident has also resulted in scrutiny of Air India’s operating procedures and cockpit crew fitness. Outgoing chief executive Campbell Wilson was summoned by the ministry last week in connection with the incident, people aware of the matter said.
Air India and the DGCA are yet to respond to emailed queries from Mint.