1 hr ago
Air India Express Suspends Eight Crew Over Delayed Tests
Air India Express requires flight crew to take a safety test after international flights.
Eight crew members, including four pilots, took the test too late after landing in Amritsar.
They completed it two hours and 35 minutes after landing instead of within two hours.
The airline reported the delay to India’s aviation safety regulator.
The crew members were suspended from duty.
This happened after an Air India pilot tested positive for a psychoactive substance.
Air India and Air India Express are now increasing substance checks for pilots.
The airlines are also asking pilots to report substance use confidentially if it could affect their ability to work safely.
Air India Express suspended eight crew members, including four pilots, over delayed post-flight breathalyser declarations.
The crew arrived on a Dubai-Amritsar flight on August 2 and completed testing 35 minutes beyond the two-hour limit.
The airline reported the violation to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and removed the crew from duty.
The action follows a positive psychoactive-substance test involving an Air India pilot after a Phuket-Delhi flight.
Air India and Air India Express have introduced broader substance screening and encouraged confidential self-declarations by pilots.
- Who
- Air India Express suspended eight crew members, including four pilots, and reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
- What
- The crew missed the required two-hour window for a post-flight breathalyser declaration by 35 minutes.
- Where
- The flight landed at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar after traveling from Dubai.
- When
- The Dubai-Amritsar flight involved landed on August 2; the declaration was submitted two hours and 35 minutes after landing.
- Why
- The crew failed to complete a mandatory safety test within the prescribed period, prompting disciplinary action and regulatory reporting.
Key facts
- Crew suspended
- Eight crew members, including four pilots
- Flight route
- Dubai to Amritsar
- Flight date
- August 2
- Testing deadline
- Within two hours of landing
- Actual delay
- Testing declaration submitted after two hours and 35 minutes
- Regulator notified
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation
- Additional screening
- Air India and Air India Express are conducting broader screening for prohibited substances or medications
Quotes
Air India Express
The airline issuing guidance through its statement
“This initiative, which goes beyond regulatory requirements, reflects our determination to uphold the highest standards of safety and professionalism, and to provide reassurance to our passengers, stakeholders and the community at large.”
NDTV
“All employees are encouraged to voluntarily self-declare any use, misuse, dependence on, or abuse of psychoactive substances that may affect their fitness for duty and ability to safely perform their assigned responsibilities.”
NDTV
Sources
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