Two Air India pilots flagged in initial drug screening, awaiting confirmatory results

Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express have begun a one-time drug-testing exercise for their cockpit crews, and among the 300-400 pilots who have submitted samples, two have shown non-negative results in the screening phase. Those pilots have been taken off flying duties while a confirmatory test is carried out, as required by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines. If the confirmatory test proves positive, the pilots will be referred for de-addiction and may resume duties only after a subsequent negative test.

Subsequent positive results could result in a three-year licence suspension or outright revocation. The aviation ministry has instructed the DGCA to revise the testing regime, aiming to increase the proportion of personnel subject to mandatory testing and to impose stricter sanctions for repeat offenses, especially when real drugs are involved. Senior pilots have voiced concerns that the current rules do not adequately differentiate between inadvertent medication use and genuine substance abuse. The outcome of the confirmatory tests and any regulatory changes will shape the airline's safety protocols going forward.