Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Outgoing Air India CEO urges trust culture amid drug-test row
Air India is a big airline that flies planes to many places.
On August 4, one of its planes was flying from Phuket to Delhi when it suddenly dropped very quickly in the air.
The sudden drop hurt 20 passengers and four crew members, and some had to go to the hospital.
People are investigating why it happened.
One pilot's test showed he had used a drug called marijuana, which is not allowed.
The pilot might not have been flying the plane while affected, and the plane may have had mechanical problems too.
The leader of Air India, Campbell Wilson, had a meeting with workers and told them to be honest and to tell the truth even when nobody is watching.
He wants everyone to report mistakes and build a culture of trust.
Air India also plans to bring over 100 new planes in the next two years.
Outgoing Air India CEO Campbell Wilson urged employees to build a culture of trust, transparency, and voluntary reporting of wrongdoing at a townhall.
His comments came amid controversy over the pilot-in-command of the August 4 Phuket-Delhi flight testing positive for marijuana.
The Airbus A320 (VT-EXO) suffered a sudden altitude drop of about 300 feet, injuring 20 passengers and four cabin crew, 17 of whom were hospitalised.
The incident is classified as serious and is under investigation by the AAIB, with Airbus and BEA assisting.
Wilson said over 100 new aircraft are to join Air India and Air India Express in the next two years as the airline faces global headwinds like fuel price surges and Pakistani airspace closure.
- Who
- Outgoing Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, addressing employees at a townhall, and the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight.
- What
- Wilson urged staff to build a culture of trust and transparency and to voluntarily report wrongdoings, amid controversy over a pilot's failed drug test and an investigation into a serious in-flight incident.
- When
- Wilson's comments were made on Thursday; the flight incident occurred on August 4.
- Where
- The townhall was held with Air India employees; the incident occurred on the Phuket-Delhi route.
- Why
- The comments came after the pilot-in-command tested positive for marijuana following a sudden altitude drop that injured passengers and crew on the Phuket-Delhi flight.
Turbulence as the cause
Pilot conduct and technical faults probed
Cause of the Phuket-Delhi incident
Turbulence as the cause
The government and the airline initially attributed the sudden altitude drop to severe turbulence.
Pilot conduct and technical faults probed
Investigators are also examining the pilot-in-command's positive drug test and possible hydraulic and control system snags as contributing causes of the incident.
- Airline
- Air India
- CEO
- Campbell Wilson (expected to relinquish office next month)
- Incident
- Sudden altitude drop of about 300 feet on Phuket-Delhi flight, August 4
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320 (VT-EXO)
- On board
- 137 passengers, six cabin crew, two pilots
- Injuries
- 20 passengers and four cabin crew injured; 17 of 24 hospitalised
- Drug test
- Pilot-in-command tested positive for marijuana
- Investigation
- AAIB, assisted by Airbus and BEA