An Air India Airbus A320 carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members lost altitude during a flight from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi on August 4, injuring 24 people before the aircraft stabilised and landed safely. India’s civil aviation ministry classified the incident as “serious”.
Airbus and France’s civil aviation safety agency, the BEA, are assisting India’s investigation into the incident.
According to a preliminary report released on Friday by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the aircraft’s flight-control system detected the loss of three hydraulic systems for several seconds.
The report said the aircraft experienced an altitude disturbance, initially climbing by 372 feet before descending 292 feet.
The hydraulic failure caused the autopilot to disengage and triggered a stall warning lasting about two seconds before the systems recovered and the aircraft resumed normal operation, the report said.
The investigation also found that the pilot in command tested positive for a psychoactive substance during a confirmatory test.
“The confirmation of use of psycho-active substance is a serious concern,” the report said.
Air India said the pilot had been terminated with immediate effect, citing the airline’s zero-tolerance policy regarding violations of safety, fitness and regulatory requirements.
Following the incident, India’s aviation ministry said it was considering stricter screening requirements for psychoactive substances. Air India also ordered mandatory one-time drug screening for all its pilots last month.
The incident adds to a series of challenges facing Air India, which is owned by India’s Tata Group and has been undergoing efforts to improve its operations and financial performance.
The airline has also faced flight disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Air India suffered a major setback in June 2025 when Flight 171, a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. The accident killed 241 of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground.
The carrier appointed Tewolde Gebremariam, the former chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines, as its new CEO last month as part of efforts to improve the airline’s performance and return it to profitability.
