NEW DELHI, AUGUST 25: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is considering year-round, mandatory random drug testing for every commercial pilot in India. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced the proposed policy shift on Tuesday, noting that the aviation regulator is actively consulting industry stakeholders to drastically tighten existing substance abuse standards.
“Right now, the rules say 10 per cent across the overall pilot network, but just like I said, DGCA is engaging,” Naidu stated on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi. “One of the opinions from our side is that everyone has to go through it the year at a random time. So, we have to see how all the stakeholders are going to respond to this.”
The regulatory review follows an alarming safety incident aboard Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi on August 4. Operating an Airbus A320, the aircraft suffered a sudden 300-foot altitude drop during its cruise phase before stabilizing and landing safely. A subsequent probe revealed that the captain of the flight tested positive for marijuana, thrusting pilot substance screening procedures into national focus.
Currently, India’s Civil Aviation Requirements dictate that only 10 per cent of the nation’s 12,000 commercial pilots and air traffic controllers undergo random psychoactive substance tests each year. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is currently investigating the Air India incident in accordance with international safety standards, while Air India and Air India Express have already reacted by instituting mandatory screening for their entire pilot rosters.
“There are multiple ways of approaching this dope test,” Naidu remarked regarding the future framework. The Federation of Indian Pilots has previously lobbied for a less drastic expansion to a 25 per cent testing pool, while advocating for oral fluid checks to supplement the current urine-based screening systems.
