Air India Orders Full Pilot Drug Screening After A320 Plunges 300 Feet, Injuring 24

Inside the Phuket–New Delhi Altitude Plunge and the Cannabis Test

Air India is facing a serious safety incident after one of its Airbus A320s, operating from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi on 4 August, abruptly lost around 300 feet, or 91 metres, during departure. The sudden event left 24 passengers injured and has been described as grave by the airline.

According to reporting by La Tribune, two subsequent screening tests showed that the flight's pilot in command was positive for cannabis. Indian authorities have not publicly commented on that finding, although they say they are closely examining material linked to the flight. Air India has said the test results were not communicated to it.

Air India's immediate response has been to extend drug testing across its cockpit workforce. An internal note seen by AFP says the airline decided to submit all group pilots to comprehensive screening for any substance or medication not authorised by regulation. The note says the tests are mandatory and began on 13 August. Indian rules already require airlines to test at least 10 percent of flight crews at random each year for psychoactive substances.

The incident is the latest in a difficult period for the Tata Group-owned carrier. Since Tata took over in 2022, Air India has dealt with aircraft delivery delays, airspace closures linked to the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and the June 2025 crash of flight 171 near Ahmedabad, in which 242 passengers and 19 people on the ground died. The airline has appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam to lead the turnaround.

What the Positive Test and Mandatory Screening Mean for Air India

Where the Cannabis Finding Leaves the Flight Crew and Air India

The most serious question is causation. A positive cannabis test does not by itself prove the commander was impaired at the controls, but it raises the stakes for the investigation. Because Indian authorities say they are examining the flight data and medical evidence, the airline cannot yet separate mechanical, operational and human factors behind the 300-foot loss of altitude.

For Air India, the timing is especially difficult. The company has told the public it had not received the test results, but it still moved to mandatory testing across the entire pilot group. That is a defensive operational response: the airline is trying to demonstrate control over a safety process while the regulator's investigation is unresolved.

Why Mandatory Pilot Testing Is a Reputation Signal

India's existing rule already imposes random annual testing of at least 10 percent of flight crew for psychoactive substances. Air India's decision to screen all pilots goes well beyond the regulatory minimum. It appears designed to reassure regulators, passengers and the market that the airline is not waiting for a final finding before closing an obvious procedural gap.

In the current environment, any new Air India safety event is covered as part of a pattern rather than an isolated case. The positive cannabis result, even before official confirmation, can affect booking behaviour and corporate confidence, particularly on international routes where the carrier competes with Gulf and Southeast Asian airlines.

What the New Chief Executive Inherits

Air India has brought in Tewolde Gebremariam, former chief of Ethiopian Airlines, as the latest lead of its turnaround. His task is now broader than fleet modernisation and delivery delays. He has to manage a live safety investigation, the internal legal position of the pilot, and a public narrative that links the airline to both the June 2025 crash and the 4 August incident.

Airbus and the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses are involved in the inquiry, suggesting the technical review will look beyond the individual crew member. The eventual findings will determine whether this becomes a disciplinary matter, a systemic screening failure or a broader regulatory test for the Indian aviation sector.

What Passengers, Regulators and Air India Stakeholders Should Expect Next

• Expect fuller pre-flight screening on Air India. The airline began mandatory psychoactive-substance testing for its entire pilot group on 13 August, so last-minute checks and possible crew changes are now part of operations.
• For passengers, the relevant lever is claim documentation, not the carrier's fleet-wide testing. The 24 passengers injured on the Phuket–Delhi flight may need medical or compensation follow-up, but do not assume the airline will resolve claims before regulators and investigators publish findings.
• For regulators, the 10 percent annual random testing rule may now be treated as a floor. Air India's move to 100 percent pilot screening could raise expectations for other Indian carriers as authorities review evidence from this flight.
• For industry observers, watch the investigation's causal finding rather than the test result alone. A positive cannabis test does not establish impairment; the outcome involving Airbus and the investigating agencies will determine whether this is a crew issue, an operational gap or a systemic safety problem.