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Air India de-rosters two pilots after preliminary drug test results
Air India has expanded its mandatory drug screening program for all pilots across Air India and Air India Express following a serious in-flight incident on August 4. An Airbus A320neo flying from Phuket to Delhi experienced a sudden loss of approximately 300 feet of altitude, resulting in injuries to passengers and crew. The pilot-in-command of that flight reportedly tested positive for marijuana in confirmatory testing.
As part of a new standard operating procedure, the airline has begun testing its approximately 5,000 pilots. Recent reports indicate that two additional pilots have returned non-negative preliminary results and have been de-rostered pending final laboratory confirmation. To date, between 300 and 400 pilots have undergone the screening process.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has responded to the situation by requesting a personal hearing with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to provide technical input before the final investigation report is released. Additionally, the FIP has proposed a 'risk-based hybrid model' to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), suggesting the introduction of faster oral-fluid testing and increasing the annual random testing quota from 10% to 25% to enhance aviation safety.
Entities
Air India · Air India Express · Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau · Directorate General of Civil Aviation · Federation of Indian Pilots · Phuket · Tata Group
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 12 SOURCES] Two additional Air India pilots failed preliminary drug tests following the Phuket-Delhi flight incident. english.mathrubhumi.com · news.abplive.com · pragativadi.com · munsifdaily.com · odishabytes.com · +7 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] More than 300 pilots have undergone the mandatory screening program so far. english.mathrubhumi.com · news.abplive.com · pragativadi.com · munsifdaily.com · odishabytes.com · +3 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Air India implemented a new standard operating procedure requiring all pilots to undergo drug screening. english.mathrubhumi.com · news.abplive.com · pragativadi.com · munsifdaily.com · odishabytes.com · +5 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The Air India group, including Air India Express, has approximately 5,000 pilots. pragativadi.com · news.abplive.com · www.orissapost.com · munsifdaily.com · in.mashable.com · +1 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the Phuket-Delhi flight incident. pragativadi.com · english.mathrubhumi.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] An Airbus A320neo flying from Phuket to Delhi lost approximately 300 feet of altitude, injuring 17 people. english.mathrubhumi.com · news.abplive.com · pragativadi.com · munsifdaily.com · odishabytes.com · +3 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The two pilots who failed preliminary tests have been de-rostered pending confirmatory results. english.mathrubhumi.com · news.abplive.com · munsifdaily.com · odishabytes.com · www.socialnews.xyz · +2 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] The pilot-in-command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for marijuana in initial and confirmatory tests. english.mathrubhumi.com · news.abplive.com · pragativadi.com · munsifdaily.com · odishabytes.com · +3 more