An Air India First Officer has been suspended after reportedly failing a pre-flight alcohol test at Zurich Airport on September 6, ahead of a scheduled Zurich–Delhi flight. The pilot was removed from operating duties and later returned to India as a passenger.
Air India said the pilot remains suspended pending the final medical examination report and completion of the investigation. The airline reiterated its zero-tolerance approach toward violations of safety, regulatory and company protocols.
The incident comes weeks after the August 4 Phuket–Delhi flight experienced a sudden loss of altitude, after which its pilot-in-command was found “non-negative” for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test. Air India subsequently terminated the pilot, while the DGCA expanded psychoactive-substance testing requirements for pilots.