Air India has introduced mandatory drug and alcohol testing for all of its pilots following an in-flight incident. According to an internal memo seen by Reuters, the new testing regime will screen for substances including banned medications. Testing will be conducted at the airline's training centre, at briefing centres after flights, and at other locations determined by the company.
Existing safety regulations in India mandate airlines to randomly test at least 10% of pilots, but Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express plan to exceed this requirement. The policy change follows an August 4 incident when an Air India Airbus A320neo flying from Phuket to Delhi unexpectedly descended about 300 feet during cruise, injuring several passengers. The captain of the flight later tested positive for cannabis.
