New Delhi: The aviation regulator DGCA has ordered drug testing of all airline pilots. The process is to be completed by July 2027, sources said.
In addition, the DGCA is expected to finalise the draft of new rules related to drug testing of pilots by the end of this month, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said on Thursday.
On August 4, an Air India flight on the Phuket-Delhi route suddenly plunged about 300 feet, injuring many passengers. The measures have been taken after the chief pilot of the flight tested positive for drugs.
The preliminary report of the AAIB into the Phuket incident had cited the pilot’s drug use as a serious matter and had directed the DGCA to take appropriate action. Air India dismissed the pilot on Sept 4.
The DGCA had last month ordered drug testing of all airline pilots and asked airlines to complete the process by July next year, sources said on Thursday.
Speaking at a conference in the national capital, Naidu said the revised draft of the ‘Civil Aviation Requirements’ (CAR) for testing pilots for psychoactive substances is expected to be finalised by the end of this month after discussions with stakeholders.
Currently, drug testing of pilots is done on a random basis. Under the current Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) of the DGCA, 10 per cent of pilots and air traffic controllers are required to undergo random tests for psychoactive substances annually. There are over 12,000 pilots in various commercial airlines.
In August, the Air India Group decided to conduct drug tests for all pilots across Air India and Air India Express after the Phuket flight incident and the chief pilot tested positive for drugs.
In its preliminary report on the Phuket flight incident, released on September 4, the AAIB said that 24 people were injured when the plane carrying 145 people plunged 300 feet. The report said that a confirmatory test conducted after the flight confirmed that the chief pilot was under the influence of drugs.