2 min readUpdated: Aug 13, 2026 03:50 PM IST
Air India said Thursday that all group pilots, including those from Air India Express, will undergo a mandatory drug test starting today, i.e., August 13.
An e-mail sent this morning – which was seen by The Indian Express – said the tests will screen for ‘any substances or medications not permitted under prevailing regulations’.
All tests, the e-mail also said, would be ‘conducted concurrently with training’ at the airline’s Gurugram facility or – in the cases of flights in the air at this time or pilots not in Delhi-NCR – at Air India offices in destination cities.
“This initiative, which goes beyond regulatory requirements, reflects our determination to uphold the highest standards of safety and professionalism, and to provide reassurance to our passengers, stakeholders and the community at large,” the e-mail said.
Air India has not commented on the e-mail at this time.
The expanded drug tests order comes days after an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight was involved in a serious mid-air incident. The plane fell 300 feet mid-air and 24 people were injured.
The incident was initially attributed to severe turbulence. However, sources have said drug tests of the pilot-in-command have since come back “positive for marijuana”.
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However, sources have also suggested the plane – an Airbus A320 – faced issues with hydraulic and control systems just before the incident.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is probing the incident.