Air India has implemented mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all pilots following the August 4 Phuket-Delhi incident, after the pilot-in-command tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test. The airline had previously conducted random testing of pilots and other aviation personnel in accordance with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines, but the new requirement makes psychoactive substance testing mandatory for pilots from Thursday onwards. Under the DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) governing testing for psychoactive substances, aviation personnel on duty are selected randomly for testing, with a first confirmed positive test not automatically resulting in cancellation or suspension of a pilot's licence. Instead, the pilot is referred for a de-addiction or rehabilitation programme and can return to flying only after completing the programme, passing another urine test and obtaining fresh medical fitness clearance.
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, according to Mint reports. Manish Uppal, senior vice president—operations, Air India, announced in a communication to pilots that the airline has decided to undertake a "full screening" of all group pilots for substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations. 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. The Air India group includes Air India and low-cost carrier Air India Express, with Air India operating 181 planes with 3,500 pilots, while Air India Express has 105 planes with about 1,500 pilots. The one-time exercise goes beyond regulatory requirements and is intended to reassure passengers, stakeholders and the wider community, as noted by sources familiar with the development.
Airbus SE discovered hydraulic system faults on the Air India jet that dropped about 300 feet in mid-flight, according to a preliminary assessment by the planemaker. The A320—flying from Phuket, Thailand, to Delhi—lost systems controlling its pitch and tilt before regaining normal functions, with the losses and recovery occurring in a span of about seven seconds, according to an initial report sent to Air India and seen by Bloomberg News. The France-based manufacturer has asked Air India to "provide recent maintenance activities performed on the hydraulic system in the last month" and to conduct several other checks on the aircraft. An Airbus spokesperson told Bloomberg the company is providing technical assistance to investigating authorities and supporting the airline, but declined to comment on the preliminary findings themselves. Air India didn't respond to requests for comment, with Reuters reporting on the memo earlier.
Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo operating from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden altitude drop of around 300 feet while flying from Phuket to Delhi on August 4. The aircraft, bearing registration VT-EXO, subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi after the incident. During the occurrence, injuries were reported to 20 passengers and four cabin crew members, with 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members comprising two pilots and six cabin crew members aboard. The flight had departed Phuket at 6:56 AM and experienced the technical issues nearly 2.5 hours into the journey. The aircraft suddenly dropped nearly 400 feet to around 35,830 feet near Jharsuguda before regaining altitude and continuing towards Delhi.
The commander of the flight is undergoing further testing after his post-incident psychoactive substance screening produced a result that requires confirmatory analysis. The pilot-in-command **had earlier returned a non-negative result in an initial screening test for marijuana, with a subsequent confirmatory test also coming out positive. Both pilots were subjected to the prescribed screening following the incident and have been removed from the flying roster by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pending completion of the investigation and the required procedures. Air India's internal rules are understood to be stricter than the DGCA's minimum regulatory requirements, with the airline likely to take disciplinary action against the pilot based on the findings of its internal inquiry. The CAR prescribes progressively stricter consequences for repeat violations, with a second confirmed violation can result in a three-year licence suspension, while a third violation can lead to cancellation of the licence.
The cause of AI 2379's sudden altitude drop remains unclear, with conflicting explanations raising questions about whether turbulence or technical malfunction was responsible. Air India's initial description of the incident as a "brief in-flight turbulence-related event" has since been dropped, with the airline now describing it as a "sudden loss of altitude during cruise." The Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA) has raised the possibility of multiple hydraulic failures causing the abrupt loss of control, while Amit Singh, senior aviation safety expert and founder of Safety Matters Foundation, questions the likelihood of triple hydraulic failure on the A320. Singh noted that "the chances of a triple hydraulic failure is next to impossible on the A320" and suggested it might be a "false alarm about a hydraulic failure." A captain from a major Indian airline explained that "if it's a single hydraulic failure, the aircraft can continue but if it's a dual, it's supposed to land as soon as possible," while "in the case of a triple hydraulic failure, the aircraft cannot recover on its own." The incident assumes significance as the A320 family accounts for an estimated 60 percent of India's commercial aircraft fleet, with roughly 500-550 planes operated by Indian airlines, making it crucial for the investigation's findings.
