Air India Pilot on Phuket-Delhi Flight Tests Positive for Marijuana, Investigation Intensifies – Indian PSU

Shocking but True! The pilot-in-command of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi has tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test, intensifying the investigation into a mid-air incident in which the aircraft suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude, injuring 24 people on board. The second test report has also come out as Positive!

The incident occurred on August 4 aboard Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. The sudden altitude drop left 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured, although the aircraft landed safely in Delhi. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a detailed probe into the occurrence.

According to reports, the pilot’s initial post-flight psychoactive substance screening returned a “non-negative” result, following which a confirmatory laboratory test established the presence of marijuana. Both pilots were subsequently removed from flying duties pending completion of the investigation.

The pilot has reportedly informed investigators that he had been suffering from sleep difficulties due to personal circumstances and was taking medication prescribed by his family doctor. He also said he was unable to get adequate rest during the layover in Phuket before operating the return flight to Delhi. However, aviation medicine experts have stated that prescribed sleep medication would not result in a positive test for THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis.

Investigators are examining all possible factors behind the incident, including the pilot’s medical condition, cockpit actions, flight recorder data and reported technical warnings involving the aircraft’s hydraulic systems, flight controls and autopilot. No conclusion has yet been reached regarding the cause of the altitude loss.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are closely monitoring the case. The government has also sought stronger operational oversight and accountability from Air India while the AAIB continues its investigation into the technical, operational, medical and human factors associated with the flight.

The second dope test has confirmed that the Air India pilot tested positive for marijuana. There is no room for ambiguity anymore. This is a shocking and unacceptable development for an airline that carries millions of passengers and represents India across the world.

Flying an aircraft is a responsibility that demands absolute physical and mental fitness. If a pilot is found to have operated a commercial flight after consuming marijuana, it is a grave breach of passenger trust and aviation safety.

Air India and the DGCA must ensure that everyone responsible is held accountable. This incident should also trigger a comprehensive review of pilot screening, drug-testing protocols, and safety oversight across the aviation sector.

Passengers have every right to ask tough questions. Public confidence will return only when those questions are answered with transparency, accountability, and decisive action—not just lame excuses.