After pilot tests positive for marijuana, Air India group orders one-time dope test on its 5,000 pilots

Together, the two group airlines have about 5,000 pilots and a fleet of nearly 300 aircraft. Air India didn’t comment on this communication to pilots. According to sources, the testing is being done in a bid to ensure the highest standards of safety, and to assure the flying public and industry stakeholders. As per the DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on testing for psychoactive substances, random dope tests on 10% of the flight crew, other pilots, and air traffic controllers are mandatory each year. Apart from the routine random testing, these tests are also usually done after a safety-related incident, as is the case with the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight of August 4.

“It (test) will be conducted concurrent with training at the Gurugram Academy, post flight at our Flight Briefing Centres/Air India Offices, or at locations provided by your respective bases. 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 communication to pilots is learnt to have said. According to sources, pilots who may be currently on leave are expected to undergo the tests upon resuming duty. The entire exercise is expected to take a few days.

“For decades, Air India has been the flag bearer of Indian aviation. Over this time the professionalism, skill and commitment to safety of our pilots, together with other staff, has earned the trust of millions of passengers and the wider community. This trust is our most important asset, and it is vital that we do all possible to protect and sustain it. Many of you have recently reached out to share the same sentiment,” the communication said, as per sources.

An Air India Airbus A320 aircraft — VT-EXO — operating a flight from Phuket to Delhi last Tuesday (August 4) encountered a sudden altitude drop of about 300 feet and caused injuries to 20 passengers and four cabin crew members, and 17 of the 24 had to be hospitalised. The aircraft had 137 passengers, six cabin crew members, and two pilots on board. The incident was classified as a serious incident and is under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The government and the airline had initially attributed the incident to severe turbulence. Conduct of the pilots is also under scanner, particularly in view of the positive drug test result of the PIC, as per sources. The PIC’s initial drug screen after the incident had returned a ‘non-negative’ result, and the confirmatory test returned a positive result, with the substance identified as marijuana, as per sources in the know. It is not clear when the substance was consumed, or whether he was operating the flight under drug influence.

Moreover, the Airbus A320 jet also likely faced multiple snags with the aircraft’s hydraulic and control systems in quick succession at the time of the incident, which will also be investigated by the AAIB as a possible cause, it is learnt. Aircraft manufacturer Airbus and French aviation accident investigation authority BEA are assisting in the investigation.

According to sources, the PIC informed the authorities after the incident that he was on medication for sleep difficulty, as prescribed by his family doctor. He is also learnt to have informed the authorities that he was standing behind the co-pilot’s seat at the time of the incident, and was not at the aircraft’s controls.

The DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on testing aviation personnel for drug consumption was released in September 2021 and took effect on January 31, 2022. While pilots and air traffic controllers are seen as the primary focus segments of these rules, they also extend to the broader range of aviation personnel engaged in safety-sensitive functions, like aircraft maintenance engineers and certifying staff, trainee pilots, and instructors and examiners.

The DGCA rules state that urine samples of the employees are to be tested for the presence of the six categories of psychoactive substances — amphetamine and amphetamine-type stimulants, opiates and metabolites, cannabis as tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepine.

The urine sample of the employee on whom the test is being conducted is to be split and stored in two separate containers. The testing process begins with a screening test on the sample in the first container, which is done immediately after the sample is collected. If this initial test is ‘non-negative’, which means it is indicative of the presence of psychoactive substances, the pilot is immediately taken off flying duty, pending the results of a confirmatory test.

The sample in the second container is then sent for the confirmatory test at a designated laboratory using high-complexity instrumentation, involving using either gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). If the confirmatory test is positive, the medical in-charge of the concerned organisation is required to consult a medical review officer (MRO) to determine if the positive result was due to a legitimate therapeutic treatment or some other innocuous source, and not drug abuse. For instance, pain relief medication containing codeine may trigger a positive result for opiates.

If the MRO confirms the result is a positive case of drug use, there is an escalation ladder of disciplinary actions that comes into the picture. If it is the first occasion of a positive drug test, the employee is referred by his or her organisation to a specialist doctor, counsellor, or de-addiction centre for a rehabilitation programme. To return to active duty, the employee must undergo new testing, receive a negative report, and obtain a fitness certificate from the organisation’s medical in-charge.

If the employee who returned to duty after a first offence is found positive again, his or her license is suspended for three years. A third positive test result leads to the cancellation of the person’s license.