The captain of an Air India flight that abruptly lost around 300 feet while travelling from Phuket to Delhi has tested positive for marijuana following a confirmatory drug test, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation summoned Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson on Tuesday, August 11, to discuss the August 4 incident. Wilson later told Indian media that the airline had updated the ministry on the progress of its internal investigation.
Neither Air India nor the ministry responded to requests for comment regarding the test result. The airline had previously said it had not been notified of the outcome.
Flight AI2379 departed Phuket International Airport for Delhi with 137 passengers and eight crew members aboard an Airbus A320neo registered as VT-EXO.
While cruising over the eastern Indian state of Odisha, the aircraft encountered severe weather and suddenly descended by approximately 300 feet, or 91 metres. The plane subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi.
Indian authorities described the event as a “momentary altitude variation”. However, 13 passengers and four crew members sustained injuries.
The incident was classified as serious and is being investigated by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
Both pilots underwent mandatory post-flight drug screening as part of standard procedures. The captain’s initial result indicated that further analysis for psychoactive substances was necessary, prompting officials to send a sample for laboratory confirmation.
The civil aviation ministry did not initially identify the substance detected during the preliminary screening. However, Reuters reported on August 11, citing a source with knowledge of the case, that the confirmatory test returned a positive result for marijuana.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation temporarily suspended both flight crew members while the investigation remains ongoing.
Air India said it regularly conducts drug tests on crew members in accordance with civil aviation regulations and would continue cooperating with the relevant authorities.
The airline is majority-owned by India’s Tata Group, while Singapore Airlines holds a stake of approximately 25%.
