Air India Express has reportedly suspended eight crew members, including four pilots, for three months for taking a mandatory post-flight breathalyser test nearly 35 minutes beyond the prescribed two-hour window.
Flight AX192 from Dubai to Amritsar landed at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee airport at around 9.50am on 2 August with two pilots-in-command, two co-pilots, and four cabin crew members, local media noted.
Indian aviation regulations require all crew members operating international flights for the country’s airlines to undergo an alcohol test within two hours of landing.
The AX192 crew did not take the test until two hours and 35 minutes later. They all tested negative for alcohol, local media reported, but were still suspended.
An unnamed source cited by the New Indian Express said the crew went to their hotel after completing post-arrival procedures because one member was unwell before returning to the airport for the test.
“The crew on board the flight checked into their allotted hotel immediately as one of them had a health issue. The group later returned to the airport to take their breathalyser test. However, they took it only 2 hours and 35 minutes later,” the source said.
Air India Express voluntarily reported the breach to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the aviation regulator, and removed the crew from duty.
Another unnamed source told the paper that the crew had “forgotten” about the test while completing post-flight procedures.
This comes amid heightened scrutiny of drug testing following an incident with Air India in August. Air India Express is the budget carrier of Air India.
Flight AI2379, travelling from Phuket to Delhi with 137 passengers and eight crew members, suddenly lost altitude while flying over eastern India on 4 August, leaving 20 passengers and four crew members injured before landing safely at its destination.
The two pilots were removed from duty while they underwent prescribed psychoactive-substance screening. The captain subsequently tested positive for marijuana.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau started an investigation after classifying it as a “serious incident”.
In the aftermath, Air India mandated screening for psychoactive substances for all pilots across the carrier, including Air India Express. The airline said the programme went beyond existing regulatory requirements for random testing of at least 10 per cent of flight crew annually.
"As you know, Air India already fully complies with all regulatory requirements prescribed by India's DGCA which are similar to those practiced in other major aviation jurisdictions including Europe and the United States," the airline said in a formal letter to employees. “We nevertheless now feel that it’s important to go further. Accordingly, we have decided to undertake a full screening of all group pilots for any substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations.”
"This initiative, which goes beyond regulatory requirements, reflects our determination to uphold the highest standards of safety and professionalism,” the airline continued, “and to provide reassurance to our passengers, stakeholders and the community at large.”
Subsequently, Air India Express urged pilots to voluntarily report the use, misuse, or dependence on psychoactive substances that could affect their fitness for duty, adding that “self-declarations will be handled in a confidential and sensitive manner, with information shared only on a need-to-know basis".
India’s civil aviation minister, K Rammohan Naidu, said in August that the government was considering requiring all pilots to undergo drugs testing once every year, replacing the existing system of randomly testing at least 10 per cent of pilots.
The Independent contacted Air India Express for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
