New Delhi:
The government has told Air India to take responsibility and asked the DGCA to make the drug testing better. This happened after a flight from Phuket to Delhi had a problem on August 4. The captains test came back positive for drugs.
What Happened on AI-2379
Air India flight AI-2379 had 137 passengers and eight crew members. The plane dropped 300 feet suddenly while flying from Phuket to Delhi. At 24 people were hurt. After the problem the pilot had to take a drug test at Delhi airport. The first test said another test was needed. The samples went to a lab. People who know the situation said the second test was positive. The exact drug is not known yet. Some reports say it was marijuana. The first officer had a test. Both pilots are not flying now.
Governments Directive to DGCA
Because of the problem the government told the DGCA to look at how other countries do drug tests. They also want the DGCA to check the way of testing pilots. The government also told Air India to make sure their own tests and rules are better. Air Indias CEO Campbell Wilson met with officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA after the problem to talk about what to do
AAIB Investigation Underway
The AAIB is looking into the problem. They are following the rules from ICAO. They have told ICAO and other places about it. Airbus is helping with help. The government said the investigation is separate based on facts and covers everything. They said not to think about the cause of the problem until the investigation is done.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Scrutiny
This is the latest in a list of things the DGCA has done to Air India in the year. They have made the airline do things like check emergency slides told pilots to follow rules and stopped the safety head for a month because of mistakes. This shows the government is watching the airlines safety carefully.
Note: This report is based on what government people said and what is happening in the investigation. The exact drug found in the pilots test and the real reason for the drop, in the planes altitude are not known yet.
