Air India Pilot Found Intoxicated, Suspended After Breath-Analyser Test Failure

Air India has suspended a pilot after he failed a breath-analyser test at Zurich airport earlier this month, officials informed PTI. The pilot was due to operate Air India flight AI151 from Zurich to Delhi on September 6.

PTI reported that he smelt of alcohol at the airport. Air India officials alerted local authorities on their own and removed him from operating duties after a preliminary breath-analyser result from local authorities. He was later sent back to India as a passenger and remains suspended pending the final medical report and completion of the inquiry. Officials said disciplinary action will depend on the findings.

The case comes days after Air India terminated the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight who had tested positive for drug use. Officials informed PTI that the airline is tightening compliance checks and accountability across flight operations.

Zurich Incident Details

The incident happened on September 6. PTI reported that the pilot was set to operate Air India flight AI151 from Zurich to Delhi and smelt of alcohol at the airport.

Air India officials voluntarily informed local authorities after that. The pilot was immediately removed from operating duties after the local authorities’ preliminary breath-analyser report and sent for further medical evaluation, officials informed PTI.

A spokesperson for the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation informed PTI that necessary measures were taken in line with national and international regulations. "The operator and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India (DGCA) have been informed accordingly. As a result, flight AI151 from Zurich to Delhi could not be operated as scheduled," the spokesperson told PTI.

FOCA declined to share more details, citing data protection. "The responsibility for the further handling of this case lies with the DGCA as the competent authority of the State of the Operator, to which any further enquiries should be addressed," the spokesperson said in an e-mail response to PTI.

Air India Compliance Push

Air India is tightening oversight. On Friday, officials informed PTI the airline is strengthening accountability across flight operations after recent incidents, including a pilot testing positive for drug use.

Apart from mandatory testing for pilots for psychoactive substances, the airline is monitoring compliance trends and operational conduct, running awareness programmes focused on safety-critical responsibilities and increasing leadership engagement with flight crew, officials added.

Officials informed PTI that when violations have been established, Air India has taken disciplinary action depending on the nature and severity of the non-compliance. That has included suspension and termination of employment.

There was no official statement from Air India on the Zurich case.

Phuket Flight Fallout

The earlier case led to a dismissal. On September 4, Air India terminated the services of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight who had tested positive for drug use.

The move came hours after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its preliminary report on the August 4 Phuket flight incident, said the drug use by the pilot was a serious concern and asked regulator DGCA to take appropriate action.

That Phuket-Delhi service was operated with an A320 aircraft. The plane suddenly lost nearly 300 feet of altitude and many people on board suffered injuries.

According to the preliminary report, the aircraft, carrying 145 people, suffered a near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems while cruising at 36,000 feet. The event triggered an autopilot disconnect, a brief stall warning and an altitude upset that injured 24 people.