Air India captain’s initial drug screening after Phuket flight altitude loss prompts lab test
An Air India captain’s initial psychoactive-substance screening requires confirmatory laboratory testing after a Phuket-to-Delhi flight lost about 300 feet during cruise.
The captain of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi has undergone further laboratory testing after an initial screening for psychoactive substances produced a result requiring confirmation, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry said.
The Air India A320, registration VT-EXO, was operating flight AI2379 when it lost approximately 300 feet during cruise on Tuesday. The aircraft stabilised and later landed safely in Delhi.
Both crew members underwent screening under standard procedures after the incident. The captain’s sample was sent to a designated laboratory, with the final report awaited. The ministry did not disclose which substance, if any, was indicated by the initial screening.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has taken both crew members off the roster pending the investigation. The occurrence has been classified as a “serious incident”.
Air India said it was aware that post-flight screening had been conducted but had not received the results. “We are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings,” an airline spokesperson said.
The airline said it conducts regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations and would continue to co-operate with the authorities.
