New Delhi: Air India has suspended a pilot after he failed a preliminary breathalyser test at Zurich airport shortly before he was scheduled to operate a flight to Delhi, according to officials. The incident took place on September 6, when the pilot was rostered to operate Air India flight AI151 from Zurich to Delhi.

The pilot was removed from flying duties after Swiss authorities conducted the preliminary breathalyser test. He was subsequently sent back to India as a passenger and remains suspended pending a final medical examination report and completion of the investigation.

Pilot removed before Zurich-Delhi flight

According to officials aware of the incident, Air India personnel noticed that the pilot did not appear normal before the scheduled flight and also detected the smell of alcohol.

The airline’s airport team alerted authorities at Zurich airport and voluntarily reported the matter. Following the preliminary breathalyser result, the pilot was removed from operating AI151.

He was referred for further medical evaluation. As a result, the scheduled flight could not operate as planned and was delayed.

The incident was detected through Air India’s internal safety monitoring and reporting mechanism, officials said. The airline’s Safety Management System (SMS) protocol allowed the matter to be identified and reported before the pilot could operate the aircraft.

Swiss aviation authorities informed DGCA

A spokesperson for the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) confirmed that the necessary measures were taken in accordance with applicable national and international regulations.

FOCA said both the operator and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were informed about the incident. The Swiss authority also confirmed that AI151 could not operate as scheduled.

However, FOCA did not provide further details about the pilot or the test, citing data protection requirements. It said further handling of the matter rests with the DGCA as the competent authority of the state of the aircraft operator.

The pilot’s suspension will continue until the final medical findings and investigation are completed. Any further disciplinary action will depend on the findings and the nature and severity of any established violation.

Air India strengthens flight safety measures

The Zurich incident comes shortly after another case involving an Air India pilot and a psychoactive-substance test.

The pilot-in-command of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight was recently dismissed after a test following an August 4 incident returned a positive result for drug use. The flight had experienced a sudden loss of altitude during its journey, leaving 24 passengers injured.

A preliminary Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report into that incident said the Airbus A320, carrying 145 people, experienced a near-simultaneous loss of pressure in all three hydraulic systems while cruising at 36,000 feet. The event resulted in an autopilot disconnect, a brief stall warning and an altitude deviation.

The AAIB investigation had also examined the pilot-in-command’s psychoactive-substance test. The preliminary report described the result as “non-negative”, while noting that the technical and other aspects of the incident remained under investigation.

Mandatory testing remains in place

Following the recent incidents, Air India has said it is strengthening accountability across its flight operations.

Officials said the airline continues mandatory testing of pilots for psychoactive substances while monitoring compliance trends and operational conduct. The carrier is also enhancing safety-awareness programmes and leadership engagement with flight crew.

Under India’s aviation safety framework, pilots are subject to alcohol checks and testing for psychoactive substances. A preliminary or screening result that requires further confirmation does not, by itself, establish impairment or a final violation; confirmatory testing and the relevant investigation determine the subsequent action.

In the Zurich case, however, the pilot was removed from operating duties before the flight departed after the preliminary breathalyser result was reported to the authorities.

Investigation to determine further action

The pilot remains suspended while Air India awaits the final medical examination report and the outcome of the investigation.

The September 6 incident also highlights the role of airline safety monitoring systems in identifying potential concerns before a crew member operates a commercial flight. In this case, the issue was reported to Zurich authorities before the pilot took control of the scheduled aircraft.

Further action against the pilot, if any, will be determined after the relevant medical findings and investigation are completed. The suspension itself is an interim measure and does not represent the final outcome of the proceedings.