'Screening results not shared with us': Air India on pilot dope test reports after Phuket-Delhi flight turbulence
Air India on Sunday said it had not received the results of a post-flight drug screening test conducted on the pilots of a turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi
Air India on Sunday said it had not received the results of a post-flight drug screening test conducted on the pilots of a turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi flight, after reports claimed that the pilot had failed the test. The airline said a screening test was conducted in accordance with the applicable protocols but stressed that it had not been provided with the results. "We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings," an Air India spokesperson said.
The airline added that it conducts regular drug tests for crew members as required under civil aviation regulations, independent of individual flights or operational incidents. "We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as required," the spokesperson said. Pilots' body urges caution Captain CS Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, also said there was no confirmation that the pilot had tested positive. Speaking to ANI, Randhawa said the pilot underwent a psychoactive substance test after the aircraft landed in Delhi, but the result was yet to be confirmed. "It has not yet been confirmed whether the pilot tested positive; until the report is available, it would be premature to claim a positive result," he said.
Randhawa added that Air India had not disclosed any positive test result and said that if such a result had been established, the airline would have informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). He urged against drawing conclusions before the test report is available. What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight? The Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi encountered severe turbulence on August 4, causing a brief change in altitude and leaving several passengers and crew members with minor injuries. Air India flight, AI 2379, was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members at the time of the incident. The airline in a statement confirmed the incident saying, "Air India confirms that flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on 4 August, experienced a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude." It added, "There have been no serious injuries as of now.
A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel."
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