Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Civil Aviation Minister: Pilot Substance Abuse Rules May Be Improved
The Indian government is checking the rules that stop airplane pilots from flying if they use drugs.
A government minister named Ram Mohan Naidu said they are taking this very seriously.
He said his team asked the aviation safety office, called the DGCA, for the latest information.
This comes after an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi suddenly dropped about 300 feet in the air.
Some passengers and crew members were hurt, and the pilot reportedly tested positive for drugs in two tests.
Now the government wants to know if the current rules are strong enough.
Right now, a pilot with a bad test result is immediately removed from flying duties.
Pilots who break the rules again can lose their flying licence for three years.
The minister promised that if the rules are not good enough, the government will make them better.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the government is reviewing pilot substance-abuse regulations and will strengthen them if found inadequate.
The government has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for updates on the issue.
The remarks follow the August 4 Air India Phuket-Delhi flight AI2379 incident, which involved a sudden altitude loss of around 300 feet.
Seventeen passengers and crew members were injured, and the pilot-in-command reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances in initial and confirmatory testing.
Under DGCA rules introduced in 2022, a non-negative test leads to immediate removal from flying duties, and repeat violations can trigger a three-year licence suspension.
- Who
- Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and the pilot-in-command of Air India flight AI2379
- What
- The government is reviewing pilot substance-abuse regulations and says it will strengthen them if needed
- When
- Tuesday, following the August 4 incident
- Where
- India; the related incident occurred on the Phuket-Delhi route
- Why
- After a pilot reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances following a mid-flight altitude loss that injured 17 people
- Minister
- Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu
- Aviation Regulator
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
- Incident
- Air India flight AI2379, Phuket-Delhi, August 4
- Altitude Loss
- Around 300 feet
- Injuries
- 17 passengers and crew members
- Pilot Test Result
- Positive for psychoactive substances in initial and confirmatory testing
- Current Rules
- DGCA regulations introduced in 2022
- Repeat Violation Penalty
- Suspension of the pilot's licence for three years