Phuket-Delhi flight incident: Air India terminates pilot who failed drug test

Air India on Friday said it had terminated the employment of the Pilot-in-Command of its Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance.“The Pilot-in-Command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for a psychoactive substance. In line with Air India's zero-tolerance approach to violations of safety, fitness or regulatory requirements, the pilot's employment has been terminated with immediate effect,” an Air India spokesperson said.The action follows a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into an August 4 incident involving Air India flight AI-2379, which found the Pilot-in-Command's psychoactive substance test non-negative in confirmatory testing.Pilot tested non-negative in confirmatory testAccording to the AAIB's preliminary findings, both pilots underwent post-flight medical checks after the aircraft landed in Delhi. Their breath analyser tests were satisfactory.However, the Pilot-in-Command's sample was found non-negative in a psychoactive substance detection test.