Air India pilot undergoes 'confirmatory' drug test after flight plunge

MUMBAI: India’s aviation ministry said Sunday that an Air India pilot whose flight plunged dramatically in turbulence injuring 17 passengers and crew is undergoing a “confirmatory” psychoactive drug test.

The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, lost around 300 feet (91 metres) on August 4 while flying from Phuket in Thailand to New Delhi, before stabilising and landing safely, the civil aviation ministry said.

Eight passengers and four cabin crew members were admitted to hospitals after landing in the Indian capital, whose conditions were described as “stable”, after which both pilots were given a standard “psychoactive substance screening test”, the statement read.

“The screening test in respect of the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing,” it said.

“Samples have accordingly been sent to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis, and the final report is awaited.”

The ministry said the flight has been classified as a “Serious Incident”, and that India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched an investigation.

Both pilots have been removed from the flying roster pending outcomes of investigation.

“Further action, as appropriate, will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation and confirmatory test results,” it added.

Videos of the incident’s aftermath showed cabin baggage strewn across the aisle. Some of those injured were taken to hospital on stretchers.

Air India, in a statement earlier on Sunday, confirmed that a “post-flight screening test” had been conducted on the flight’s pilots, but it said the results had not been shared with the company.

The incident is the latest in a series of setbacks for the Indian carrier, which appointed a new executive on Wednesday.

Since taking over Air India in 2022, India’s Tata Group has embarked on an ambitious overhaul, ordering hundreds of aircraft and upgrading its ageing fleet.

While the airline has managed to modernise operations and integrate the group’s aviation businesses, it has faced persistent headwinds including aircraft delivery delays and airspace closures caused by the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.

But the biggest blow to the airline’s image came in June 2025, when Air India Flight 171 – a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner – crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground.

The carrier has now turned to former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam, widely seen as an industry veteran capable of righting the ship, as its new CEO as it seeks to execute a turnaround.