An Air India co-pilot was suspended after a pre-flight screening at Zurich airport after testing positive for alcohol, less than 24 hours before he was due to fly to Delhi. The flight was delayed on September 6 and the airline is waiting for the final medical report in the next day.
According to officials at Air India, the co-pilot was stopped from operating the Delhi-bound service after airport authorities suspected that he had consumed alcohol. The screening had been done first and a positive result came back. But it is yet to see if a follow-up test will be done, and no final decision will be reached until all medical exams are complete, reported Air India.
The pilot was subsequently sent back to India as a passenger and has been placed under suspension till the final report is released. This has once again raised questions about the strict rules in commercial flight crew on alcohol and psychoactive-substance use.
AI 151, the affected service, was scheduled to leave Zurich for Delhi on September 6. Due to the co-pilot’s incident, the flight was not to proceed as originally planned. It eventually operated to Delhi on September 7.
Air India said safety and regulatory adherence are still mandatory for all of its flight crew and they would be disciplined if they violated aviation regulations, safety regulations or internal processes.
The carrier has also stressed to pilots and other crew members of the carrier that professionalism is important to the airline and that the professionals in our service must be professional. As part of its safety and compliance framework, Air India has been conducting training/testing for psychoactive substances and has been working with the airline to promote awareness of the risks of violating aviation safety practices and the consequences of violating aviation safety protocols by employees.
Air India Pilot Previously Dismissed After Marijuana Tests
The Zurich incident comes weeks after Air India dismissed pilot-in-command Sudeep Vashistha after positive marijuana tests. Vashistha was in command of a Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost altitude on August 4.
The Airbus A320neo involved in that incident was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. It was said to have lost 300 feet of altitude when it was flying over Odisha. More than 20 passengers and four crew members suffered injuries during the incident before the aircraft continued and reached Delhi safely.
Vashistha later tested positive for marijuana in two separate tests and was later dismissed by Air India. He had reportedly said that he had been prescribed medication for sleep-related problems. During the safety investigation process, he said he had had difficulty sleeping on the layover and had gone for a walk in hopes that physical activity would help him sleep.
What was noticed in this case motivated new scrutiny of substance compliance among flight crew members and led Air India to introduce additional mandatory drug testing for its pilots.
Airline Strengthens Psychoactive-Substance Testing
Following the previous incident, Air India announced several measures to improve pilots' compliance as well as that of other flight crew. These included psychoactive-substance testing and other awareness programs, and more attention to reporting duties.
The airline has said that monitoring and testing are essential to the safety of aviation to ensure that crew members are fit to fly and are able to carry out their duties. The latest Zurich incident could be a new reminder of the necessity of these measures, though the co-pilot's case will be determined by the outcome of the follow-up medical evaluation.
Commercial airline pilots are subjected to strict rules for alcohol and other substances because even a minor impairment can affect decision-making, coordination, and reaction times in flight. Airlines and aviation authorities have very strict and uniform procedures for pre-flight fitness and substance testing for pilots.
The Air India co-pilot will remain suspended while the airline waits for the final medical examination results. But until that report is available, the initial positive alcohol screening does not in itself establish the final disciplinary outcome. Air India has said that any violations will be dealt with as per existing aviation regulations and airline processes.
The incident is also in line with the higher importance of operational safety and crew compliance in Air India. Airlines are currently running on international schedules and therefore having to adhere to testing requirements and professional standards is a must for safe flight operations.
