NEW DELHI (Xinhua): Two more Air India pilots failed to clear the preliminary mandatory drug test ordered by the airline following the mid-air turbulence on the Phuket-New Delhi flight that caused injuries, multiple local media reports said Monday.
The two pilots have reportedly been de-rostered.
"Two more Air India pilots have failed the airline's preliminary drug screening, with confirmatory tests now being conducted to establish whether the results were triggered by a psychoactive substance or by medication they may be taking," local television news channel News18 reported.
"The two pilots have been de-rostered as a precautionary measure and will remain off flying duties until the final test results are received."
According to the news channel, around 400 Air India pilots have been tested so far as part of a mandatory screening exercise launched by the Tata-owned airline.
The airline had ordered all its pilots to get the drug test done, as part of a new standard operating procedure (SOP), after the pilot-in-command of the Phuket-New Delhi flight failed two urine tests he was asked to undergo when the flight landed. Marijuana had been detected in his system.
On Aug 4, 24 people onboard an Air India flight from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi were injured after experiencing turbulence. The aircraft lost approximately 300 feet in altitude, triggering a mid-air scare among the passengers. -- Xinhua
