Two Air India group pilots have tested non-negative in mandatory psychoactive substance screening, sources told India Today. Their samples have now been sent for confirmatory testing, and the final results are awaited.
The initial test indicates the presence of a substance or chemical marker. However, a non-negative screening result does not by itself confirm that a pilot consumed a prohibited psychoactive substance. The confirmatory test will determine whether the pilots actually tested positive.
The development comes days after the Air India group introduced mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all its pilots from August 13, following the Phuket-Delhi flight fiasco involving an Air India pilot.
Sources said around 300-400 pilots have undergone the screening so far, and the testing process is continuing.
So far, two pilots have returned non-negative results in the screening tests, sources said.
Their samples are now undergoing further analysis to establish whether a psychoactive substance was consumed.
The testing is part of the airline group’s mandatory screening process for pilots following the incident involving the pilot-in-command of Air India flight AI2379.
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