# Air India fires commander who flew under influence

Canonical-URL: https://notitur.com/en/digest/air-india-commander-drugged-fired
Text-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/air-india-commander-drugged-fired.txt
Language: en
Published: 2026-09-05T18:31:13.359Z
Modified: 2026-09-05T18:31:13.359Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Airlines
Summary: The pilot allegedly caused a sudden altitude loss that injured 20. The airline responded with immediate dismissal.

## Article

On August 4th, an Air India A320 operating the Phuket-Delhi route suffered a sudden altitude drop, leaving **20 passengers and 4 crew members injured**. According to [Preferente](https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de-transportes/noticias-de-aerolineas/despedido-el-comandante-de-air-india-que-pilotaba-drogado-351708.html), the crew regained control within seconds, but the scare was massive.

The airline acted swiftly: the commander, who reportedly was flying under the influence of drugs, has been **fired**. No official details have been released about the substance or possible criminal charges, but the decision is final.

I see two takeaways here. First, cockpit substance abuse controls remain a blind spot. Second, when a pilot risks 150 lives, tolerance is zero. Hopefully the industry doesn't need another incident to tighten its protocols.

## Sources

- Preferente: https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de-transportes/noticias-de-aerolineas/despedido-el-comandante-de-air-india-que-pilotaba-drogado-351708.html

## Citation

Air India fires commander who flew under influence. Notitur. 2026-09-05. https://notitur.com/en/digest/air-india-commander-drugged-fired