Air India pilot tests positive for marijuana after mid-air plunge

NEW DELHI – The captain of an Air India aircraft that suddenly dropped about 90m on a flight last week tested positive for marijuana in a second test, according to people familiar with the matter.

On Aug 9, the Indian government said the pilot-in-command of AI2379, which flew from Phuket to Delhi, would undergo a second round of drug screening to confirm whether he was under the influence of a psychoactive substance when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude.

The incident, which occurred on Aug 4 and is being probed by India’s Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau, left several passengers and cabin crew members injured. The Airbus SE A320 aircraft was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members.

Screening for psychoactive substances is standard procedure in critical investigations, and a non-negative reading in the first test requires a confirmatory test.

In this case, a second test has also been found to be positive, the people said asking not to be identified as the results are confidential.

A spokesman for Air India did not respond to a request for comment on the pilot’s drug test report.

Aviation safety has emerged as a key concern for India’s fast-growing aviation industry after the fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2025, and multiple safety lapses.

The incident is a fresh headache for the Tata Group-owned airline, which was battered by a record loss of 220 billion rupees (S$2.95 billion) in the year ended March 31. It also shows the scale of challenges awaiting incoming chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam.

Under rules set by India’s aviation regulator, an employee who tests positive for the first time is referred to a de-addiction or rehabilitation programme.

To return to safety-sensitive duties, that employee must be re-tested and come clean. A second positive test, however, leads to a three-year licence suspension, while a third positive test results in permanent cancellation of the licence. BLOOMBERG