Canada asks Air India to probe incident of pilot reporting for duty under influence of alcohol, source says

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Image utilized  for representational purpose. File

Image utilized for representational purpose. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

Canada’s transport regulator has asked ​Air India to analyse an incidental of a aviator reporting ‌for work nether the power of intoxicant ​and failing 2 breathalyzer tests, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance said.

The tests were conducted by Canadian constabulary astatine Vancouver International Airport, aft the aviator was asked to permission the aircraft, the idiosyncratic said.

The incidental was labelled arsenic a “serious matter” by Transport Canada successful a missive to Air India and authorities are apt to prosecute ​enforcement action, the idiosyncratic added.

The idiosyncratic requested anonymity arsenic ⁠he was not authorised to talk to the media. Transport Canada did not respond to an emailed petition for remark extracurricular regular moving hours.

In a statement, ​Air India confirmed the formation ⁠from Vancouver to Delhi connected December 23 experienced a last-minute hold owed to the incident, adding that an alternate aviator was brought successful to run the flight.

“The aviator has been taken ‌off flying duties during the process of enquiry. Air India ‌maintains a zero-tolerance argumentation towards immoderate usurpation of applicable rules and regulations,” Air India said. “Pending the result of ‍the investigation, immoderate confirmed usurpation volition pull strict disciplinary enactment successful enactment with institution policy.”

The missive from Transport Canada authoritative Ajit Oommen has asked ‍Air India to supply its findings and details of steps taken to forestall aboriginal occurrences by January 26, the idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance said.

India has been nether aggravated scrutiny since the June 12 clang of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people. India’s aviation regulator has flagged aggregate information lapses astatine the airline, which was antecedently owned by the authorities until 2022.

Pilots astatine Air India, owned ⁠by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, person besides travel nether scrutiny. This week, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ​sent informing notices to 4 Air India pilots, flagging “serious information concerns” related ⁠to regulatory compliance and formation unit decision-making.

The DGCA said the pilots accepted an craft for cognition past twelvemonth contempt anterior cognition of “repeated snags” and “existing systems degradations,” according to informing notices dated December 29 seen by Reuters. The craft is ⁠a Boeing 787 utilized for long-haul flights, according to Flightradar24.

Published - January 02, 2026 12:20 p.m. IST

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