Air India Pilot Drug Test Shock: DGCA Orders One-Time Psychoactive Substance Screening for All Pilots

The aviation regulator has ordered airlines to conduct a one-time psychoactive substance test on all pilots, with testing in the current cycle running until July 31 next year, people aware of the matter said on Thursday. The move comes days after the pilot-in-command (PIC) of the August 4 Phuket-Delhi Air India flight tested 'non-negative' for such a substance. The new testing mandate marks a significant expansion of the existing regime under which only 10 percent of flight crew and air traffic controllers are randomly tested for psychoactive substances annually.

Testing Already Underway Across Airlines

An official said testing of pilots across all airline operators is currently underway. 'An order has been issued,' the official said, with a second official adding that tests began last month. Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Turbulence: What We Know About the Pilot’s Reported Positive Dope Test.

HT had first reported last month that the government was examining an expansion of random testing, with the possibility of every pilot being tested at least once a year. The government is now working on amending the drug test rule to reflect this.

Minister Says New Guidelines Expected By Month End

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Thursday that the government is moving toward finalising the amended rule soon. 'The DGCA is still holding discussions with stakeholders, but hopefully before the end of this month, we will be able to finalise what the new guideline will be on pilot testing,' he said. Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Turbulence: Captain Fails Post-Flight Dope Test, Airline Issues Statement as DGCA Probes Incident.

On whether action would be taken against the Phuket-Delhi PIC, Naidu said the matter rests with the DGCA. 'Let the CAR come out... what the CAR says, accordingly we will see what kind of action needs to be taken. Let us go ahead with the CAR, and later we can decide,' he said.

What Led To The Expanded Testing Mandate

Air India voluntarily began testing 100 percent of its pilots from August 13, after the PIC of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive in a confirmatory drug test. The flight had lost all three of its hydraulic systems within seconds while cruising at 36,000 feet on August 4, triggering an 'altitude upset' that injured 24 people on board.

A preliminary Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report last week said the PIC was the pilot monitoring at the time, not the crew member actively handling the primary controls, and that the co-pilot tested negative in both tests. The AAIB did not establish any link between the psychoactive substance finding and the altitude upset, noting that the co-pilot responded before the PIC took over the controls, and the aircraft recovered and landed safely in Delhi.

The AAIB recommended that the DGCA take appropriate action to prevent abuse of psychoactive substances, calling their use among pilots a serious concern.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2026 05:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).