A pilot who flew Air India (AI) flight AI2379 from Phuket International Airport (HKT) to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Delhi, has reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances in a post-flight screening, according to a report by NDTV. The flight had encountered severe turbulence on August 4, 2026, injuring more than a dozen people on board.
The reported result is not yet final because a second, confirmatory test is still pending. Air India has not confirmed or denied the finding and says it has not received the official test results from the authorities conducting the screening.
Pilot Reportedly Tests Positive After Screening
The pilot-in-command of flight AI2379, an Airbus A320, likely failed a dope test administered in Delhi after the aircraft landed. Sources told NDTV that the finding remains unofficial pending a second test result.
Both pilots on the flight have reportedly been de-rostered and taken off flying duties while an inquiry continues. Air India said in a statement that it will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as required, but declined to comment further because the results have not been shared with the airline directly.
Captain CS Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, urged caution about the unconfirmed reports. He said the doping test results were not out officially by the airline, adding that he won’t comment that that test is positive until there is formal confirmation. His words were quoted in IANS Live in the following way:
“Currently, the doping test results are not out officially by the airline, so we will wait for the official confirmation. I won’t comment that that test is positive…If the test seems positive, then the license cancellation of the pilot can also take place because of this. The penalty also can be put up on the pilot as well also for the future, also few of the things he can suffer from this, but still I will say we have to wait for the report about the doping test, and then only we can comment on it,”
What Happens If the Test Is Confirmed Positive
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) applies a graded penalty system for crew members who test positive for psychoactive substances. The rules are designed to remove impaired personnel from safety-sensitive duty while allowing a path back to work through treatment:
- A first confirmed positive test results in referral to a de-addiction and rehabilitation centre.
- The crew member may return to duty only after producing a negative follow-up test report.
- A second confirmed positive test leads to suspension of the pilot’s licence for three years.
- A third confirmed offence results in permanent cancellation of the licence.
Prescribed medication can also affect dope test outcomes, so crew members are required to declare any medicines they are taking before screening. Authorities factor declared medication into their assessment of test results.
AI2379 Suffered Severe Turbulence Over Odisha
Flight AI2379 was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members when it hit severe turbulence while flying over Odisha airspace. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the turbulence lasted roughly four to five minutes and caused a sudden altitude change of around 300 feet.
At least 13 passengers and four crew members were injured, though some reports put the total figure closer to 17. Two crew members suffered spinal injuries near the tailbone and neck and were kept under extended medical observation, while injured passengers were discharged after brief hospital stays.
Naidu visited some of the injured crew at Fortis Hospital in Delhi and praised their conduct during the emergency. He was quoted in One India as having said that the crew continued performing their duties for nearly another hour until the aircraft landed safely, calling their response remarkable courage despite their own injuries:
“In terms of the injuries of the crew members, a couple of them have a spinal injury near the tailbone and also near the neck. So the doctors are under continuous surveillance on them. And they have advised that they be under rest and surveillance for some time. We interacted with the crew members…they have been very brave even after that incident that happened for five minutes mid-air and they were proven to have certain injuries…”
Aviation Watchdog Opens Formal Investigation
The DGCA has launched an inquiry into the turbulence event itself, separate from the pending dope test question. The Airbus A320 involved was moved to a hangar for inspection, and investigators have secured both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder.
The regulator is examining how the crew responded to the sudden loss of altitude and whether the decision to continue to Delhi rather than divert to a closer airport was appropriate. Investigators are also reviewing whether the seatbelt sign was illuminated at the time turbulence struck, since several of those injured were reportedly not strapped in.
Air India’s Response to the Reported Test
Air India has neither confirmed nor denied the reported positive result. The airline maintains that it cannot comment substantively because the screening results have not been formally shared with it by the testing authority. A spokesperson was quoted in Republic World to have said:
“We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the test results have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings. Air India undertakes regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations, independent of any specific flight or operational incident. We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as required…”
What Happens Next
The case now hinges on two separate but connected processes:
- The confirmatory dope test result, which will determine whether the reported finding becomes an official positive under DGCA rules.
- The DGCA’s broader inquiry into the turbulence event, covering crew decision-making, the diversion question, and whether the aircraft sustained any structural stress.
Until the second test result is released, the pilot’s case remains unresolved, and Air India has stopped short of confirming any details beyond its official statement. The DGCA has not indicated a timeline for when either process is expected to conclude.
