After Air India Incident, DGCA Weighs Annual Random Drug Tests For All Pilots

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is considering requiring all commercial pilots in India to undergo at least one random drug test every year, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday.

The proposal comes after an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight incident earlier this month, following which the government asked the aviation regulator to review existing rules on drug testing among pilots.

“Right now, the rule says 10% across the overall pilot network,” Naidu said, adding that one proposal being considered is for every pilot to undergo a test at a random time during the year.

Why DGCA Is Reviewing Drug Testing Rules

The DGCA is currently holding consultations with stakeholders on the existing rules governing substance use among aviation personnel and how they can be strengthened.

Naidu said there were several ways to approach drug testing and that any change would need to balance aviation safety with the operational impact on airlines.

“We have to see how all the stakeholders are going to respond to this because one is the safety aspect to ensure safety intact and the second is the operational impact,” he said.

The minister said the government would consider both factors before deciding whether annual testing should cover the entire pilot network. He noted that testing every pilot once a year could have implications for airline operations.

Air India Incident Under Investigation

The proposed changes come as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigates the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight incident. The Airbus A320, operating as AI 2379 on August 4, suffered a sudden loss of altitude, leaving 20 passengers and four crew members injured.

The pilot in command was reportedly found positive in a drug test after the incident, according to the second report. Air India has since initiated one-time drug testing for all its pilots, while other airlines are also conducting such tests voluntarily, Naidu said.

The AAIB investigation is underway, with Airbus and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) also participating. Naidu said the aircraft and its data recorder were intact, raising expectations of a preliminary report soon.

He did not provide a specific timeline for the preliminary findings. The investigation is separate from the DGCA’s broader review of drug-testing rules.