Air India Orders Fresh Drug Tests For All Pilots After Captain Tests Positive For Marijuana

Ai
I dia
has
lau ched
ma dato y
f esh
d ug
sc ee i g
fo
its
e ti e
pilot
wo kfo ce
followi g
a
co t ove sy
i volvi g
a
captai
who
tested
positive
fo
ma ijua a
afte
ope ati g
a
Phuket-Delhi
flight.
The
ai li e
bega
the
testi g
exe cise
o
Thu sday,
with
eve y
pilot
ac oss
the
g oup
cove ed
u de
the
ew
i itiative.
The
decisio
was
commu icated
to
employees
th ough
a
i te al
lette ,
which
said
the
move
goes
beyo d
existi g
egulato y
equi eme ts
a d
is
i te ded
to
st e gthe
safety
sta da ds.

Ai
I dia
Expa ds
Substa ce
Sc ee i g
Ac oss
Pilot
Wo kfo ce

The
ai li e
said
it
al eady
complies
with
the
d ug-testi g
equi eme ts
p esc ibed
by
the
Di ecto ate
Ge e al
of
Civil
Aviatio
(DGCA).
Howeve ,
it
has
ow
decided
to
subject
all
G oup
pilots
to
comp ehe sive
sc ee i g
fo
substa ces
a d
medicatio s
p ohibited
u de
p evaili g
aviatio
ules.

I
a
i te al
commu icatio ,
Ai
I dia
has
o de ed
ma dato y
sc ee i g
of
all
pilots
ac oss
the
g oup
fo
p ohibited
substa ces
a d
d ugs,
with
the
sc ee i g
p ocess
begi i g
Thu sday.
I
a
i te al
lette
to
pilots,
the
ai li e
said
the
move
goes
beyo d
existi g
Di ecto ate
Ge e al
of
Civil
Aviatio
(DGCA)
equi eme ts
a d
comes
amid
i c eased
focus
o
testi g
pilots
fo
psychoactive
substa ces.

Acco di g
to
the
ai li e,
pilots
will
u de go
sc ee i g
at
the
Gu ug am
Academy,
Flight
B iefi g
Ce t e
a d
va ious
base
locatio s.
The
tests
will
also
be
co ducted
afte
t ai i g
a d
flyi g,
as
pa t
of
the
expa ded
sc ee i g
p ocess.

Ai
I dia
said
the
sc ee i g
will
cove
p ohibited
substa ces
a d
d ugs
as
p esc ibed
u de
applicable
ules.
The
ai li e
also
oted
that
DGCA
egulatio s
o
such
testi g
a e
b oadly
alig ed
with
sta da ds
followed
i
Eu ope
a d
the
U ited
States.

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MLA
Ni mal
Ghosh
A ested
Ove
‘Hasty
C ematio ‘
Of
RG
Ka
Rape-Mu de
Victim

Phuket-Delhi
Flight
I cide t
Put
Pilot
Testi g
U de
Spotlight

The
move
follows
sc uti y
of
flight
AI-2379,
which
was
t avelli g
f om
Phuket
to
Delhi
o
August
4
with
137
passe ge s
a d
eight
c ew
membe s.
The
ai c aft
expe ie ced
a
sudde
d op
of
app oximately
300
feet
while
flyi g
ove
Odisha.
At
least
20
passe ge s
a d
fou
c ew
membe s
we e
i ju ed
i
the
i cide t.

The
Ai c aft
Accide t
I vestigatio
Bu eau
(AAIB)
is
i vestigati g
the
episode,
with
tech ical
assista ce
f om
Ai bus
a d
F a ce’s
BEA.

Both
pilots
u de we t
the
ma dato y
psychoactive-substa ce
sc ee i g
followi g
the
altitude
loss.
Acco di g
to
the
Civil
Aviatio
Mi ist y,
the
pilot-i -comma d’s
i itial
test
p oduced
a
esult
equi i g
co fi mato y
exami atio .
The
sample
was
subseque tly
se t
to
a
desig ated
labo ato y
fo
fu the
a alysis.

The
DGCA
emoved
both
pilots
f om
flyi g
duties
as
the
i vestigatio
a d
testi g
p ocess
p oceeded.

What
Happe s
Whe
A
Pilot
Tests
Positive?

Existi g
DGCA
ules
p esc ibe
a
ehabilitatio
p ocess
fo
aviatio
pe so el
who
test
positive
fo
psychoactive
substa ces.

A
seco d
positive
test
ca
esult
i
the
suspe sio
of
a
pilot’s
lice ce
fo
th ee
yea s.
A
thi d
offe ce
ca
lead
to
ca cellatio
of
the
lice ce
altogethe .

The
egulato y
f amewo k
has
come
u de
e ewed
sc uti y
followi g
the
co fi med
positive
esult
i volvi g
the
Ai
I dia
captai .
The
Civil
Aviatio
Mi ist y
is
exami i g
whethe
additio al
safegua ds
a e
ecessa y
despite
the
cou t y’s
existi g
p ocedu es
bei g
b oadly
compa able
with
those
followed
i
othe
majo
aviatio
ju isdictio s.

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READ:

Activist
Deve d a
Mahto
Seeks
Civil
Su geo ‘s
Nod
To
Retu
F om
Hospital
To
Ra chi
P otest
Site

Gove me t
Reviewi g
Global
Dope-Testi g
P actices

Civil
Aviatio
Mi iste
K
Rammoha
Naidu
has
said
the
gove me t
is
t eati g
the
matte
se iously
a d
could
co side
egulato y
cha ges
if
the
existi g
system
is
fou d
to
have
sho tcomi gs.

Howeve ,
a y
pote tial
cha ges
a e
expected
to
follow
the
DGCA’s
exami atio
of
d ug-testi g
p actices
i
othe
cou t ies.
A
se io
mi ist y
sou ce
i dicated
that
the
gove me t
would
assess
i te atio al
systems
befo e
decidi g
whethe
I dia’s
f amewo k
equi es
modificatio .

The
latest
Ai
I dia
i itiative
the efo e
ep ese ts
a
b oade
p eve tive
measu e
while
the
egulato y
eview
a d
i vestigatio
co ti ue.

AAIB
P obe
Co ti ues
I to
Altitude
D op

The
AAIB
i vestigatio
emai s
u de way,
with
tech ical
assista ce
f om
Ai bus
a d
F a ce’s
BEA.
The
i qui y
is
exami i g
the
ci cumsta ces
su ou di g
the
sudde
loss
of
altitude
a d
the
subseque t
i ju ies
epo ted
amo g
passe ge s
a d
c ew.

The
positive
test
esult
has
added
a othe
dime sio
to
the
i vestigatio
a d
p ompted
close
exami atio
of
safegua ds
gove i g
substa ce
sc ee i g
amo g
flight
c ews.

Ai
I dia’s
decisio
to
test
its
e ti e
pilot
wo kfo ce
comes
agai st
this
backd op,
with
the
ai li e
positio i g
the
exe cise
as
a
additio al
safety
measu e
beyo d
the
mi imum
egulato y
equi eme ts.

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