📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / User:आशीष भटनागर
National
DGCA mandates drug testing for all airline pilots after Air India Phuket incident
✍️ India Today
🗓 10 Sep 2026, 10:48 PM
👁 11
Following a safety scare on an Air India flight to Phuket, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered mandatory drug tests for pilots across all Indian airlines.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a directive after a recent safety scare involving an Air India flight bound for Phuket, Thailand. The regulator said the incident highlighted the need for stricter oversight of pilot fitness.
Under the new order, every airline operating in India must conduct random and periodic drug tests for all its pilots. Test results are to be submitted to the DGCA within a stipulated timeframe, and airlines failing to comply could face penalties or suspension of operating licences.
The DGCA emphasized that the measure aligns with international aviation safety standards and is intended to restore public confidence in air travel. Major carriers have expressed readiness to implement the testing protocol promptly.
The authority will monitor compliance through audits and may expand the testing regime if required, reinforcing its commitment to passenger safety.
Under the new order, every airline operating in India must conduct random and periodic drug tests for all its pilots. Test results are to be submitted to the DGCA within a stipulated timeframe, and airlines failing to comply could face penalties or suspension of operating licences.
The DGCA emphasized that the measure aligns with international aviation safety standards and is intended to restore public confidence in air travel. Major carriers have expressed readiness to implement the testing protocol promptly.
The authority will monitor compliance through audits and may expand the testing regime if required, reinforcing its commitment to passenger safety.