Two more Air India pilots have failed the preliminary drug test ordered by the Tata-owned airline following the Phuket-Delhi flight incident that left several people injured.
The results of their final tests are awaited, while both pilots have been de-rostered in the meantime, according to NDTV.
Air India ordered all its pilots to undergo drug testing as part of a new standard operating procedure (SOP) following the incident. The pilot-in-command of the Phuket-Delhi flight had earlier failed two urine tests conducted after the aircraft landed, with marijuana detected in his system.
More than 300 Air India pilots have so far undergone the testing process, according to sources. The results of the final drug tests generally take between 24 and 48 hours to arrive.
Air India Expands Drug Testing After Flight Incident
The airline’s decision to test its pilots came after the Phuket-Delhi flight incident and the subsequent testing of its pilot-in-command. A cabin crew member on the flight was also believed to have filed a complaint alleging that the pilot had previously smoked “pot”.
Air India has maintained that it conducts regular drug testing of crew members in accordance with civil aviation regulations and that such testing is not linked specifically to any individual flight or operational incident.
The latest tests, however, are being conducted as part of the new SOP introduced by the airline following the Phuket-Delhi incident.
