Aviation Ministry Summons Air India CEO Wilson Over Phuket-Delhi Flight Incident

Campbell Wilson, chief executive of Air India, has been asked to appear before India's civil aviation ministry on account of the airline's Phuket-Delhi flight suddenly losing about 300 feet of altitude, according to a Reuters report.

Separately, a laboratory test confirmed that the pilot flying the Phuket-Delhi service had tested positive for drugs. The flight had suddenly dropped nearly 300 feet in altitude mid-air last week.

The ministry's move comes days after authorities opened an investigation into the incident involving an Airbus A320neo aircraft. The company said it was extending technical support to the authorities handling the case. "In accordance with ICAO Annex 13, Airbus is providing technical assistance to the relevant investigating authorities. We are actively supporting the airline and will provide further information as it becomes available. A team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation," it said in a statement.

Timeline Of The Incident

Flight AI2379, travelling from Phuket to Delhi, lost around 300 feet of altitude during cruise on August 4 while flying over Odisha. The sudden drop injured 13 passengers and four crew members, taking the total number of people hurt to 17.

Air India's initial statement attributed the episode to turbulence, describing it as a "momentary altitude variation." The aircraft, which had 137 passengers and eight crew members on board, regained stability shortly after and landed safely in Delhi. Several of the injured are still receiving hospital treatment.

The airline had also confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a formal inquiry into what went wrong. The carrier said it would refrain from discussing specifics while the process is underway. "As the investigative process is ongoing, Air India cannot comment on any findings or observations related to the investigation. We will continue to extend our full cooperation to relevant authorities as required," the airline said.

Notably, the civil aviation ministry had first disclosed that the pilot's preliminary screening for psychoactive substances came back "non-negative," which led authorities to order a confirmatory second test.

Now, that follow-up report verified that the pilot had indeed tested positive. Air India had maintained earlier that it was yet to receive official word on the results. Both pilots operating the flight have now been taken off flying duty while the probe continues. It is to be noted that a ministry note describing the Odisha incident did not use the term "turbulence" at any point, as pewr reports.