NEW DELHI, SEPT 25: Air India has placed a pilot under suspension after he failed a breathanalyser test prior to operating a scheduled flight from Zurich to Delhi. Official sources confirmed that the flight crew member was removed from duty after local authorities conducted preliminary testing at Zurich airport ahead of flight AI151 on September 6.
Following the test result, airline officials notified local Swiss aviation authorities, and the pilot was rostered off operational duties for immediate medical evaluation. The flight was subsequently cancelled. The aviator was later brought back to India as a passenger while under suspension, awaiting the outcome of a comprehensive inquiry and final medical assessments.
A spokesperson for the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation affirmed that standard regulatory measures were applied and information was shared with India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The incident follows another disciplinary action where the airline ended the service contract of a captain who tested positive for prohibited substances following an August incident on a Phuket-Delhi flight.
