DGCA weighs annual pilot drug tests after Air India hydraulic scare

The government is weighing a proposal to make drug testing mandatory for every pilot once a year, up from the current 10% sampling of the overall pilot network.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, “Right now, the rule says 10 per cent across the overall pilot network,” while confirming that the DGCA is in discussions with stakeholders on expanding the testing regime.

The proposal follows the August 4 Air India flight AI2379 incident, when the Phuket-Delhi Airbus A320 lost around 300 feet of altitude after a hydraulic failure, injuring 17 people onboard before landing safely in Delhi.

The incident triggered concerns after a subsequent confirmatory drug test of the pilot-in-command reportedly returned positive for marijuana.

Air India subsequently expanded drug screening across its pilot workforce, with two more pilots later found to have failed preliminary drug tests and being removed from flight duties as a precaution.

Around 400 pilots have so far been screened as part of the airline’s expanded internal testing exercise following the incident.

India’s aviation sector has been expanding rapidly in recent years, adding pressure on regulators to scale up safety and compliance infrastructure, including staffing and laboratory capacity for expanded testing regimes.

The incident triggered concerns after a subsequent confirmatory drug test of the pilot-in-command reportedly returned positive for marijuana.

Air India subsequently expanded drug screening across its pilot workforce, with two more pilots later found to have failed preliminary drug tests and being removed from flight duties as a precaution.

Around 400 pilots have so far been screened as part of the airline’s expanded internal testing exercise following the incident.

The Federation of Indian Pilots has urged consideration of oral-fluid testing as a complementary methodology within the existing regulatory framework, to help expand testing capacity as India’s aviation sector grows.

Naidu said the discussions on strengthening testing rules are separate from the ongoing investigation into the Air India incident itself, which continues under separate review.

Photo by Chad Davis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0