After a serious incident.. Indian airline mandates comprehensive drug tests for all its pilots - Sarmad

Indian airline Air India announced on Thursday that it will subject all its pilots to mandatory drug and prohibited substance testing.

The decision follows reports that a pilot was investigated after a serious aviation incident in Thailand, during which he had allegedly consumed marijuana before the flight, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Current regulations require airlines to conduct random annual drug tests for at least 10 percent of flight crew members. However, the Indian carrier decided to “subject all group pilots to comprehensive testing for any substances or drugs not permitted under prevailing regulations,” according to an internal company memo, which stated that “the testing is mandatory and will begin today.”

Horrendous incident

On August 4, at least 24 passengers were injured when an Airbus A320 aircraft descended approximately 91 meters shortly after taking off from Phuket, Thailand, en route to New Delhi.

Local media reported at the time that the pilot had smoked marijuana, and a second confirmatory test also yielded a positive result. However, Air India stated that the test results had not been shared with the company.

Investigators have not commented on these reports but confirmed they are closely examining evidence related to the flight. The investigation is being supported by Airbus and the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA).

The incident comes as Air India seeks to restructure its operations following a series of setbacks.

The company’s reputation suffered a major blow in June 2025 when Flight 171, bound for London, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, killing all 242 passengers and one crew member on board, as well as 19 people on the ground.

Last week, the airline appointed former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam as its new chief executive officer.