India
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Two more Air India pilots return non-negative screens
Telegraph India··17 Aug
Two more Air India pilots have returned non-negative preliminary drug screens in the group's one-time test of about 5,000 cockpit crew. They were taken off flying duties pending confirmatory reports expected in 24 to 48 hours. Nearly 400 pilots had been tested since 13 August. The drive followed the 4 August Phuket-Delhi incident on flight AI2379.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you fly Air India or Air India Express, two more pilots from the mass screening are off the roster until confirmatory results arrive.
- Passengers on AI2379 on 4 August can place the captain's later confirmatory marijuana result beside the about 300-foot altitude loss.
- Crew and fliers should treat a non-negative screen as a pending lab step, not a final finding.
What's Happening
- Air India's group-wide pilot screening, started on 13 August 2026, has produced two further non-negative preliminary results.
- Those pilots are off safety-sensitive duty until confirmatory tests are back.
- The programme covers about 3,500 Air India and 1,500 Air India Express pilots.
What The Rules Do After A Confirmed Positive
- DGCA procedure removes an employee from safety-sensitive duty as soon as a screen is non-negative, until the confirmatory report.
- A first confirmed positive is referred for de-addiction; a second after return can mean a three-year licence suspension, and a third cancellation.
- The aviation ministry has asked DGCA to review how large a share of aviation staff must be tested and what follows recreational-drug findings.
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