Air India Turbulence Incident: Govt Mulls 100% Random Drug Tests For Pilots

The August 4 Air India flight AI2379 turbulence incident has triggered a major debate over pilot safety and drug testing. The Phuket-Delhi flight suddenly lost around 300 feet amid turbulence, injuring 24 passengers. The pilot-in-command later tested positive for marijuana in two confirmatory tests. Air India and Air India Express subsequently launched mandatory psychoactive-substance testing, screening around 5,000 pilots. Now, the government is considering a major overhaul of the rules, potentially increasing random testing from 10% to 100% of commercial pilots every year. The Federation of Indian Pilots has also called for wider random testing. Meanwhile, the August 4 incident remains under investigation.