‘Zero tolerance’: Air India suspends pilot after failed Zurich alcohol screening

Air India has suspended a co-pilot after he failed a mandatory pre-flight alcohol test at Zurich Airport on September 6, shortly before he was scheduled to operate flight AI 151 to Delhi. The incident has triggered an internal inquiry and coordination with Swiss and Indian aviation regulators.

Ground handling staff at Zurich reportedly detected the smell of alcohol on the first officer during pre-departure checks and alerted local authorities. The pilot was removed from the aircraft before take-off and subjected to a preliminary breath-analyser test, which he failed.

A secondary medical test was also conducted in Zurich; its results are awaited, and the pilot remains suspended pending the final medical examination report and completion of the investigation, Air India officials said.

As a result, flight AI 151 from Zurich to Delhi could not operate as scheduled and was postponed to the next morning, according to a PTI report. The crew member was later returned to India as a passenger on the same aircraft.

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Regulatory response and airline action

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) confirmed it took action against the pilot under Swiss regulations and informed India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which will oversee further proceedings as the home regulator, according to a PTI report.

Air India said the case was tracked under its Safety Management System (SMS) protocol, with the pilot immediately removed from operating duties upon receipt of the preliminary test report and referred for medical evaluation.

The suspension comes weeks after another Air India pilot tested positive for marijuana following a Phuket–Delhi flight, renewing scrutiny of crew substance-use compliance. Under DGCA rules, pilots are prohibited from consuming alcohol within 12 hours before a flight, and any breach can lead to licence action and criminal proceedings.