AI suspends pilot after alcohol test at Zurich Airport
Air India has suspended a pilot after he failed a breathalyser test at Zurich Airport earlier this month, moments before he was scheduled to operate a flight to Delhi, in the latest incident raising concerns about strict compliance with aviation safety regulations.
The pilot was due to operate Air India flight AI151 from Zurich to Delhi on September 6 when airport personnel detected the smell of alcohol, officials said on Friday.
Air India subsequently informed local authorities, following which the pilot was removed from operating duties and subjected to further medical evaluation.
According to officials, local authorities immediately removed the pilot from flight duties after providing a preliminary breathalyser test report. He was later repatriated to India as a passenger and remains suspended pending the final medical examination report and completion of the investigation.
Officials said they will take “Appropriate disciplinary action” based on the findings.
The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) confirmed that it had taken the necessary measures under applicable national and international regulations. A FOCA spokesperson said the operator and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were informed and, as a result, AI151 could not operate as scheduled.
Citing data-protection requirements, FOCA declined to provide further details and said responsibility for further handling of the case rests with the DGCA as the competent authority of the state of the operator.
Air India has also been strengthening its internal measures following a series of recent safety-related incidents. Officials said the airline is tightening accountability across flight operations and continuing mandatory testing of pilots for psychoactive substances.
The airline is also monitoring compliance trends and operational conduct, expanding safety-awareness programmes and increasing leadership engagement with flight crew, officials said. Where violations are established, disciplinary measures-including suspension or termination-are taken depending on the nature and severity of the non-compliance.
The Zurich incident came days after Air India terminated the services of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for drug use.
On September 4, the airline dismissed the pilot, hours after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its preliminary report into the August 4 Phuket-Delhi incident, described the drug-use finding as a serious concern and asked the DGCA to take appropriate action.
The Phuket-Delhi flight, operated by an Airbus A320, suddenly lost nearly 300 feet of altitude while cruising at 36,000 feet. The aircraft carried 145 people, and 24 passengers were injured.
According to the AAIB’s preliminary findings, the aircraft experienced a near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems, triggering an autopilot disconnect, a brief stall warning and an altitude upset.
The latest Zurich incident adds to scrutiny of Air India’s flight-operations oversight as the airline moves to reinforce compliance and safety protocols among its cockpit crew.
