India Weighs Year-Round Drug Screening For Commercial Pilots After Air India Incident
Mumbai: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is actively considering universal, year-round random psychoactive substance testing for all commercial pilots operating in India, according to the Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu. The plan comes as a regulatory shift aimed at tightening safety protocols across the aviation sector after an Air India pilot was tested positive for marijuana…
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is contemplating a nationwide, year-round random drug screening policy for all commercial pilots in India, following a recent Air India incident. This proposed regulation aims to enhance safety measures within the aviation sector, which was triggered by an Air India flight's unexpected altitude drop and subsequent safe landing after its pilot tested positive for marijuana.
The incident occurred on August 4, when a pilot on Air India flight AI-2379, flying from Phuket to Delhi, registered a significant altitude loss of about 300 feet before landing safely in Delhi.
The government is also reviewing existing regulations and considering a shift from a minimum 10% random sampling of pilots to 100% unscheduled testing throughout the year. This move comes as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) engages with stakeholders to overhaul the current guidelines. Industry bodies, such as the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) and the Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA India), have advocated for stricter testing, including oral-fluid screening and protection of crew members' confidentiality.
They argue that random drug tests should not trigger false positives due to legitimate medication or dietary habits.
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