Phuket-Delhi flight turbulence: Air India pilot's psychoactive substance test requires confirmation, DGCA says

Air India's turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi flight has come under further scrutiny after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the initial psychoactive-substance screening of the pilot-in-command (PIC) indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing.

The development comes after media reports claimed that the pilot had failed a post-flight dope test. However, the DGCA's statement makes clear that the pilot has not been confirmed to have tested positive. The sample has been sent to a designated laboratory and the final report is awaited.

Air India had earlier said it had not received the results of the screening and was therefore not in a position to comment on the findings.

The DGCA initiated scrutiny after the initial psychoactive-substance screening of the pilot-in-command indicated a result that required confirmatory testing.

Flight AI2379 experienced a sudden loss of altitude of approximately 300 feet during cruise, which resulted in injuries to several passengers and crew, though no serious injuries were reported.

The pilots have been removed from the roster pending the completion of the investigation and the results of the confirmatory substance testing.

Air India conducts regular drug testing of its crew members as per civil aviation regulations, independent of any specific flight incident, and cooperates with relevant authorities on the findings.

Post-incident, minor injuries were assessed, and a small number of affected passengers and crew were taken to a medical facility for precautionary examinations.

"We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings," an airline spokesperson said.

According to the DGCA, both pilots underwent the prescribed psychoactive-substance screening as part of the standard procedure following the incident.

While the screening of one of the pilots, the PIC, produced a result requiring further examination, the regulator stressed that confirmatory analysis is still pending. Samples have been sent to a designated laboratory for confirmatory testing, with the final report awaited.

Pending the completion of the investigation and prescribed testing process, both pilots have been taken off the roster by the DGCA.

Further action will be decided based on the outcome of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probe and the confirmatory test.

Air India flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, experienced a sudden loss of altitude of approximately 300 feet during cruise, according to the DGCA.

The Airbus A320 was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, comprising two pilots and six cabin crew.