Air India expands drug testing to all pilots after captain tests positive for marijuana

NEW ⁠DELHI: Air India will begin mandatory substance ​testing for ​all pilots on Thursday, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements days after a pilot involved in a serious mid-air incident tested positive for marijuana, according to an internal memo.
The tests ⁠will screen for substances and medications prohibited under ⁠aviation regulations and will be conducted alongside training sessions at the airline's Gurugram academy, after flights at briefing ‌centres and offices, or at ​locations designated by ⁠pilots' home bases.
Pilots at budget subsidiary ​Air India Express will ‌also be tested.
Air India did not immediately respond to an ​email seeking comment. Existing rules require airlines to randomly test at least 10% of their flight crew for psychoactive substances each year.
'We nevertheless now feel that it ‌is important to go further,' Air India said ​in the memo, adding that the initiative was intended ​to ‌uphold ⁠safety standards and provide reassurance to passengers and other stakeholders.
The move comes as authorities investigate ​an August 4 incident involving an ⁠Air India ​Airbus A320neo flying from Phuket to Delhi that suddenly lost about 300 feet (91 metres) of altitude during cruise. The flight's captain tested positive for ​marijuana in a confirmatory drug test, according ​to a source familiar with the matter.