Indian Pilots' Union Calls For Overhaul Of DGCA Drug-Testing Rules Following Air India's Phuket Flight Incident; Suggests Increasing Random Testing To 25% Crew
· Free Press Journal
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s psychoactive-substance testing regulations following the incident on an Air India flight earlier this month. The pilots’ body has asked to double mandatory random drug testing, introduce oral-fluid screening alongside existing urine tests, and enforce strict procedural safeguards to protect crew members.
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The 30-page representation to the aviation regulator follows the incident after the pilot-in-command of Air India’s Phuket-Delhi flight AI-2379, which dropped 300ft in altitude while cruising over Odisha, was found to be under the influence of marijuana.
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The FIP argued that the current regulatory framework, which requires pilots to undergo urine-based screening and mandates a minimum annual random-testing coverage of 10%, is outdated, citing the rapid expansion of India’s aviation sector. The union urged the DGCA to increase the mandatory annual random testing benchmark from 10% to at least 25% of flight crew and ensure that pilots remain eligible for selection multiple times in a single year to maintain genuine, continuous deterrence.
The association suggested deployment of oral-fluid testing as a complementary tool alongside urine sampling to create a risk-based hybrid model. According to its study, adopting oral-fluid collection – which is directly observable and can be performed airside or at workplaces in approximately 15 minutes compared to 45 minutes for urine samples – could theoretically cut collection time and crew downtime by up to 66.7%, dramatically increasing testing throughput without causing severe flight disruptions.
FIP Calls Current 10% Testing Requirement Outdated
A cornerstone of the FIP’s 30-page submission is the demand for strict medical and procedural safeguards. The union emphasised that detecting a substance during preliminary screening does not automatically establish functional impairment or deliberate misuse. "Neither urine nor oral-fluid testing, by itself, constitutes a direct impairment test," the FIP stressed, warning against a "test-detect-punish" approach.
To ensure fairness, the federation insisted that every non-negative screening result must follow a multi-stage evidentiary sequence which includes a rapid point-of-collection or initial immunoassay screen, mandatory secondary testing of non-negative samples using accredited laboratory methods and an independent medical review to evaluate legitimate therapeutic drug use, over-the-counter cross-reactivity or prescribed treatments before any final adverse regulatory determination is made.
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The FIP highlighted the regulatory precedent from major international civil aviation and transport authorities like those in Australia, the US and the UAE, all of which use oral fluid along with urine as testing framework. Rather than an immediate wholesale replacement of urine testing, the FIP has requested that the DGCA initiate a 12-month controlled pilot programme at selected airports and airlines. The trial would evaluate collector qualification, device reliability, cost-effectiveness per completed test, crew downtime and laboratory turnaround times under actual Indian operational conditions.
Alongside physical testing, the federation has urged the regulator to mandate formal pilot education programmes. Pointing out that common over-the-counter cold remedies, first-generation antihistamines, sedating sleep aids and traditional or herbal supplements can yield non-negative results or impair flight performance, the FIP recommended adopting a national "Check Before You Take" campaign.
The union called for airlines to establish confidential medication-advisory systems and digital guidance tools so pilots can consult Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) without fear of immediate punitive action.