Air India has ordered mandatory drug tests for all its pilots after a plane captain involved in a mid-air plunge last week tested positive for marijuana. The incident occurred on a flight from Thailand to New Delhi, where at least 24 passengers were injured when an Airbus A320 lost about 300 feet of altitude shortly after departing from Phuket.
Existing rules require airlines to randomly test at least 10% of their flight crew for psychoactive substances each year. However, Air India has decided to undertake a full screening of all its pilots for any substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations.
The mid-air drama on the flight from Thailand to New Delhi has raised concerns about the safety of Air India’s operations. Local media reports said the main pilot had smoked marijuana and had tested positive in a second confirmatory test. Air India said the results have not been shared with them.
Indian investigators are closely examining evidence linked to the flight. The inquiry is being supported by Airbus and France’s civil aviation safety agency, the BEA.
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The incident came as Air India is seeking to overhaul its operations following a string of setbacks. Its reputation suffered a major blow in June 2025 when the London-bound Flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground.
Last week, the airline appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive. The move is seen as an effort to turn around the airline’s fortunes and improve its safety record.
As the investigation into the mid-air drama continues, Air India’s pilots will undergo mandatory drug tests. The airline’s decision to undertake a full screening of all its pilots is a step towards ensuring the safety of its passengers and crew.
The results of the investigation and the drug tests will have significant implications for Air India’s operations and reputation. The airline will need to take concrete steps to address the concerns raised by the incident and work towards preventing such incidents in the future.
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For now, Air India’s focus will be on cooperating with the investigation and implementing measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The airline’s passengers and crew will be watching closely to see how the situation unfolds.
They will need to wait for the outcome of the investigation.
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Asian markets mixed, oil dips
Asian markets were mixed on Thursday, with gains mainly in the tech sector. But stocks in Europe rose, as investors welcomed news of easing US inflation, while oil prices fell back from recent gains amid uncertainty over the prospects for the Strait of Hormuz. The dollar softened, with analysts saying that US consumer inflation data released Wednesday gave the Federal Reserve some breathing room on the timing of interest rate hikes to curb inflation. “The idea of a delayed Fed rate hike is giving a fresh boost to equity markets,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote, said. The consumer price index report for July, which was in line with forecasts, followed figures pointing to a softer US jobs market. However, with the CPI reading still above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years – and with the Iran war keeping oil prices raised – Fed officials are expected to tighten borrowing costs at some point. “July marked 65 consecutive months with inflation running above target,” Neil Wilson at Saxo Markets said. “Nevertheless, odds of a rate hike in September were pushed out by the US CPI report,” he added. Expectations that inflation will remain raised saw an auction of 10-year US Treasuries – a key guide for interest rates – result in the highest yield since during the global financial crisis of 2007. Oil prices shed more than 2% on Thursday despite no signs of a deal being struck to end the US-Iran war. A senior Iranian official said the Strait of Hormuz remained under the control of the Islamic republic after President Donald Trump claimed US control over the strategic waterway. Wall Street stocks had broadly advanced on Wednesday, providing support to Asia on Thursday with tech firms back in favour as concerns ease over their huge AI investments. Seoul’s Kospi jumped 3.6% thanks to chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung.
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