The captain of an Air India flight that experienced a sudden loss of altitude last week has tested positive for marijuana in confirmatory drug testing, according to Indian news reports, prompting a ministry investigation.
An Air India captain operating a flight from Phuket to Delhi has returned a positive result for marijuana following confirmatory drug testing, Indian television channels reported on Tuesday. The development centers on an incident the previous week involving an Airbus A320neo aircraft that experienced what authorities described as a "momentary altitude variation" while flying over Odisha in eastern India. The aircraft descended approximately 300 feet during the incident before stabilizing and completing its journey safely to Delhi with 137 passengers and eight crew members on board.
The altitude loss resulted in injuries to 13 passengers and four crew members, prompting Indian authorities to launch an investigation. The initial drug screening on the captain had flagged the need for confirmatory laboratory testing, which has now returned a positive result. However, Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports at the time of publication, and Air India did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The incident has drawn attention from India's highest aviation authorities. The Ministry of Civil Aviation summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to address the matter, though the ministry declined to comment further on the developments. Air India, which is majority-owned by the Tata Group with Singapore Airlines holding approximately 25 percent of the company, stated it had not been informed of the test results at the time of the initial screening.
