New Delhi, Aug 25 (HS): The Civil Aviation Ministry is considering the possibility of subjecting all commercial pilots to random psychoactive substance tests throughout the year as part of efforts to strengthen aviation safety standards.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was holding discussions with stakeholders on strengthening the existing drug-testing norms for pilots.

At present, regulations provide for random testing covering 10 per cent of the overall pilot network. The minister said one of the proposals under consideration was to bring all pilots under the ambit of random testing during the year.

One of the opinions from our side is that everyone has to go through it the whole year at a random time, Naidu said, adding that the government would consider the views of all stakeholders before taking a decision.

The issue of psychoactive substance use among pilots has received renewed attention following an incident involving an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that experienced a sudden loss of altitude. The captain operating the flight subsequently tested positive for marijuana.

Naidu said the DGCA was consulting stakeholders to review the existing framework and examine ways to formulate a stricter policy. He said there were multiple approaches to conducting such tests and consultations were underway before finalising any changes.

The minister made the remarks while responding to questions on psychoactive substance testing for pilots on the sidelines of an event in the national capital.

Currently, pilots are subjected to psychoactive substance testing on a random basis under DGCA regulations.

Meanwhile, Air India and Air India Express have started mandatory psychoactive substance testing for all their pilots.

The proposed changes, if implemented, would significantly expand the scope of the existing testing regime by potentially bringing every commercial pilot under random testing during the year.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar