New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation is considering expanding random drug testing to cover all pilots at different points during the year, following a recent incident in which the captain of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi tested positive for drugs.
Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu said on Monday that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is consulting stakeholders on strengthening the existing drug-testing framework for pilots.
Current rules cover 10% of pilots
Under the existing DGCA regulations, random drug tests are conducted annually on 10% of pilots and air traffic controllers.
The ministry is now considering whether pilots across the entire network should undergo random testing at different times during the year, rather than limiting the checks to a fixed percentage.
The issue came into focus after the captain of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi tested positive in a drug test.
Pilots’ body seeks wider testing
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has also urged the DGCA to strengthen the testing system. It has called for oral-fluid testing to be introduced alongside the existing urine-based tests and suggested increasing the proportion of random tests from 10% to 25%.
Meanwhile, Air India and Air India Express have started mandatory drug testing of their pilots.
Investigation into Phuket-Delhi flight incident
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the August 4 incident involving Air India flight AI2379, which was operating from Phuket to Delhi.
According to the information provided, the aircraft experienced a sudden major change in altitude during the flight before eventually landing safely in the national capital. The investigation is continuing.
