Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the government is weighing a shift to mandatory annual dope tests for every pilot in the country, moving away from the current system of testing only a tenth of the overall pilot network.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Naidu said, "Right now, the rule says 10% across the overall pilot network," adding that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation was engaging with stakeholders on a proposal under which every pilot would undergo testing once a year at a random time.
He said the regulator was weighing both the safety benefits and the operational impact of expanding the testing regime before finalising any change.
On the ongoing probe into the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight, the minister said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau was examining the aircraft's flight data recorder and other systems, adding that a preliminary report could be expected soon.
He said DGCA consultations on tightening substance-use regulations for pilots were running in parallel with the crash investigation.
The proposal follows the August 4 incident involving Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 flying from Phuket to Delhi, which suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude during cruise after a hydraulic failure before stabilising and landing safely in Delhi.
ALSO READ: 40 Vs 70 Hours: Air India Express Pilots Flag Income Security Under Revised Salary Offer
At least 17 people, including cabin crew, were injured. During a subsequent confirmatory test, the pilot-in-command had tested positive for marijuana, prompting Air India to expand dope screening across its pilot workforce.
Two more pilots were later found to have failed preliminary drug tests and were de-rostered as a precaution pending confirmatory results, with roughly 400 pilots screened so far as part of the airline's expanded exercise.
The Federation of Indian Pilots has separately urged the DGCA to adopt faster oral-fluid, or saliva-based, testing methods used in countries such as Australia and the US, arguing that quicker screening would improve both safety and operational efficiency without compromising accuracy.
ALSO READ: Air India Mandates Testing Pilots For Banned Substances After Phuket Flight Row: Sources
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.