Two more Air India pilots fail drug test after Phuket flight mid-air incident: Report
Air India and Air India Express have tested about 400 pilots, with two preliminary screens returning non-negative results after the Phuket-Delhi incident.
- Two additional Air India pilots failed preliminary drug tests following a mid-air incident on flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, 2026, and have been temporarily de-rostered as a precaution pending confirmatory results.
- Flight AI2379 experienced a sudden altitude loss of about 300 feet during cruise, injuring 24 passengers and crew; the pilot-in-command tested positive for marijuana after confirmatory testing.
- In response, Air India mandated psychoactive substance testing for all pilots, expanding beyond existing random requirements, with around 300-400 pilots screened so far.
- Investigations revealed multiple hydraulic system failures causing loss of control surfaces during the flight; authorities are investigating with no conclusive link between pilot drug use and the altitude loss.
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20 Articles
Two Air India Group pilots fail initial drug test
New Delhi, Aug 17: Two pilots of the Air India Group have failed the initial drug test as their results came "non-negative" and their samples have been sent for confirmatory tests, according to a source. On August 13, Air India and Air India Express started mandatory psychoactive substance testing of all their pilots, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements. These tests were made mandatory following the August 4 incident, when the captai…
2 more Air India pilots fail drug test after Phuket flight fiasco
Two Air India Group pilots have failed initial drug tests, with their samples sent for confirmatory analysis. This comes after mandatory psychoactive substance testing was implemented following an incident where a pilot tested positive for marijuana after a flight lost altitude.
Air India Drug Test: 2 More Pilots Fail Preliminary Screening, Confirmatory Tests Underway
In the latest development, two more Air India pilots have returned positive preliminary results in drugs screening, according to sources cited by CNN News 18. Confirmatory tests are now being carried out to determine whether the results are linked to the
Two more Air India pilots fail drug test after Phuket-Delhi flight incident: Reports
Two more Air India pilots failed preliminary drug tests following a recent incident. These pilots have been de-rostered while awaiting final test results. Air India mandated psychoactive substance screening for all its pilots after a previous positive test. The captain of the Phuket-Delhi flight claimed prescribed sleeping pills caused his positive result. Over 300 pilots have undergone this new internal safety testing process.
Initial drug tests of 2 more Air India pilots ‘non-negative’, confirmatory test results awaited
The airline had on Thursday announced mandatory one-time dope tests on all of the 5,000-odd pilots of Air India and Air India Express. Nearly 400 pilots have been tested so far, it is learnt.
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