Air India Phuket-Delhi pilot faces licence cancellation if dope test positive
Synopsis
The pilot of Air India's turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi flight faces potential licence cancellation if his post-flight dope test is confirmed positive — but the Federation of Indian Pilots is holding fire, demanding official results before passing judgement. The airline itself says the screening results haven't been shared with it, leaving a critical safety question publicly unanswered.
Key Takeaways
Air India flight AI2379 (Phuket-Delhi) encountered severe turbulence over Odisha , causing a sudden altitude drop of roughly 300 feet and injuring passengers and crew.
Captain CS Randhawa , President of the Federation of Indian Pilots , warned that a confirmed positive dope test could result in the pilot’s licence cancellation and financial penalties.
Randhawa stressed that official dope test results have not yet been released and declined to confirm media reports of a positive result.
Air India confirmed it conducts regular crew drug tests per civil aviation rules but said the post-flight screening results had not been shared with the airline .
The aircraft, an Airbus A320 , stabilised after the turbulence and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi .
The pilot of Air India flight AI2379, which encountered severe mid-air turbulence on its Phuket-to-Delhi route, could face cancellation of his flying licence and additional penalties if his post-flight dope test is confirmed positive, according to the chief of a national pilots' body. The warning came on Sunday, 9 August, amid unconfirmed reports that the captain had allegedly tested positive for psychoactive substances.
What the Pilots' Body Said
Captain CS Randhawa, President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, urged restraint pending official confirmation of the test results. 'Currently, the doping test results are not out officially by the airline, so we will wait for the official confirmation. I won’t comment that that test is positive,' he said.
Randhawa nonetheless outlined the potential consequences should the results come back positive. 'If the test seems positive, then the license cancellation of the pilot can also take place because of this. The penalty also can be put up on the pilot as well also for the future, also few of the things he can suffer from this, but still I will say we have to wait for the report about the doping test, and then only we can comment on it,' he added.
Air India's Position
Air India stated that it conducts regular drug testing of crew members in strict compliance with civil aviation regulations. However, the airline clarified that the results of the post-flight screening test conducted on the pilots of flight AI2379 had not been shared with it, leaving the matter formally unresolved at the time of reporting.
What Happened on Flight AI2379
The Airbus A320 operating as Air India AI2379 from Phuket to New Delhi encountered severe turbulence while flying over Odisha, triggering a sudden altitude variation of approximately 300 feet. Several passengers and crew members were reportedly injured during the incident. The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
Regulatory and Safety Context
Dope testing of commercial pilots is mandated under India's civil aviation safety framework, and a positive result typically triggers a multi-agency review involving the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This incident comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over aviation safety standards in India, following a series of turbulence-related injuries across carriers in recent months. Notably, enforcement of post-incident substance screening has been a recurring point of contention between airline managements and regulatory bodies.
What Happens Next
The outcome hinges on the official release of the dope test results by the relevant authority. If confirmed positive, the pilot could face licence cancellation, financial penalties, and long-term career consequences. The Federation of Indian Pilots has indicated it will respond formally only after official findings are published.
Point of View
The very carrier responsible for the aircraft and its crew. That gap in the information chain raises questions about how India’s civil aviation safety architecture is designed: if an airline cannot access its own crew’s screening data, accountability becomes structurally murky. The Federation of Indian Pilots is right to withhold judgement until official results are published, but the DGCA’s silence on the timeline for disclosure is conspicuous. Aviation safety cannot run on media reports and 'allegedly'.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi?
Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320, encountered severe turbulence while flying over Odisha, causing a sudden altitude variation of approximately 300 feet. Several passengers and crew members were injured before the aircraft stabilised and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
Why could the Air India pilot lose his flying licence?
Captain CS Randhawa of the Federation of Indian Pilots stated that if the pilot’s post-flight dope test is officially confirmed positive for psychoactive substances, licence cancellation is among the possible consequences under civil aviation regulations, along with financial penalties and other career impacts.
Has the Air India pilot’s dope test been confirmed positive?
No official confirmation has been issued. Air India said the post-flight screening results had not been shared with it, and the Federation of Indian Pilots has declined to comment on media reports of a positive result until official findings are published.
What is Air India’s policy on crew drug testing?
Air India stated that it conducts regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations. The airline did not specify the frequency or the agency responsible for releasing post-flight screening results.
What authority oversees pilot dope testing in India?
Pilot substance screening in India falls under the regulatory framework of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which mandates post-incident testing and has the authority to act on positive results, including initiating licence suspension or cancellation proceedings.
