In a swift enforcement of its safety regulations, Air India has terminated the employment of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight with immediate effect. The dismissal comes after the captain tested positive for a psychoactive substance following a mid-air technical scare that left multiple passengers injured.
The disciplinary action was triggered by the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau regarding an incident on August 4. Flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 carrying 145 people from Phuket to Delhi, was cruising at 36,000 feet when it experienced a near-simultaneous pressure loss in all three of its hydraulic systems. The critical failure led to an automatic disconnection of the autopilot, triggered a brief stall warning, and caused the aircraft to suddenly plunge more than 300 feet over Odisha before the crew stabilized the flight.
The mid-air altitude drop caused severe turbulence inside the cabin, leaving 24 passengers and four cabin crew members injured. Following a safe emergency landing in Delhi, both operating pilots were pulled from active duty and subjected to mandatory medical checks. While their standard breath analyser tests for alcohol were clear, a subsequent laboratory screening flagged a “non-negative” result for the captain. A rigorous confirmatory test later validated that the pilot-in-command had marijuana in his system.
A spokesperson for the Tata-owned carrier confirmed the termination, stating that safety remains the airline’s absolute priority. The company reiterated its strict zero-tolerance approach toward any violations concerning the fitness, safety, or regulatory requirements of its operating crew. Following the incident, the airline has significantly scaled up its random substance screening, testing hundreds of pilots across its group network.
Crucially, the accident investigation bureau clarified that its preliminary probe has not established a direct causal link between the captain’s drug test results and the mechanical failure of the aircraft’s hydraulics. While technical teams continue to investigate the source of the structural system failure, the aviation regulator has been advised to review and tighten the broader substance abuse monitoring framework for commercial flight crews nationwide.
