Air India Phuket-Delhi Incident: DGCA Reviewing Pilot Drug Testing Rules, Says Civil Aviation Minister

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Tuesday that Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the accident of an Air India flight from Phuket to New Delhi, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is looking into the provisions of the regulations on substance-use testing of pilots.

While addressing issues, Naidu said the data recorder on the aircraft was not damaged and the plane is still in the area of the accident, enabling investigators to prepare preliminary reports at a very early stage.

The minister said AAIB was currently conducting the investigation while the data recorder and the position of the aircraft would assist investigators toward a preliminary finding soon.

DGCA reviewing pilot drug-testing rules

The minister also said the DGCA is currently consulting stakeholders on existing regulations concerning substance use and how the rules could be strengthened in the future.

According to Naidu, the current rules require drug testing of 10% of the overall pilot network. However, he said one proposal being considered is to ensure that every pilot undergoes testing once a year at a random time.

Naidu said that there are multiple ways of approaching this dope test adding that the government would consider both aviation safety and the operational impact of any changes.

The minister said that discussions with stakeholders were underway and the government would look to ensure that the safety requirements were not unduly restrictive.

The comments are made as investigators investigate the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight incident and authorities look into if current precautions with regards to substance use by aviation workers should be toughened up.