Amid increased attention to drug use among flight crew, the Federation of Indian Pilots has written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, calling for oral fluid testing for psychoactive substances as an extra screening tool. The pilots’ group also recommended raising the minimum annual random drug testing rate for pilots from 10 percent to at least 25 percent. The letter follows two Air India group pilots returning non-negative results in initial mandatory screenings. Their samples are now undergoing confirmatory testing. The federation asked the DGCA to consider oral fluid testing as a complementary method within existing rules for aviation personnel. It noted that urine testing has a solid regulatory setup but argued that India’s growing aviation sector needs additional methods to boost capacity, cut disruptions, and speed up screening at airports. Oral fluid testing would complement urine tests, shorten collection time, and reduce crew downtime. The body also called for reviewing the 10 percent random testing requirement, saying the threshold set years ago needs updating due to fleet growth and higher operational demands. It stressed that testing must be frequent, random, and unpredictable to ensure deterrence and safety. The federation suggested raising coverage to 25 percent of pilots and allowing repeat selections plus risk based screening. It cited frameworks in Australia, the United States, and the UAE that permit both urine and oral fluid testing. Air India began mandatory screening for all pilots from August 13 after an incident on flight AI2379. Around 300 to 400 pilots have been screened so far, with two initial non negative results now in confirmatory analysis.
