New Delhi: In a shocking incident, an Air India pilot has allegedly put the lives of fliers at stake by flying the plane in a drunken state prompting the airlines company to terminate the accused pilot.

Reliable sources said that the pilot of the flight operating on the Phuket-Delhi route tested positive for alcohol consumption during the Breath Analyser (BA) test on his arrival at the Delhi Airport last week.

Taking strict notice of the matter, the Tata Group airlines company has terminated the pilot from the services, sources said.

It is learnt that the airline company is also planning to register a FIR against the pilot. Sources said that the accused pilot, the identity of whom was not immediately known, was shockingly doing a training flight for a new captain. After the matter came to light, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also taken serious note of the matter warning that such an offense will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

As per rules, breathalyzer test is done before pilots take off in domestic flights even as pilots flying international flights also undergo post-flight breath analyser tests.

The rising incidents of pilots flying planes in drunken state has caused a wave of anger among the fliers. According to sources, in 2023, as many as 33 pilots and 97 crew members failed in the breathalyzer test prompting authorities to take stringent action against them.

Pertinently, a pilot failing a breath analyser test for the first time faces license suspension for three months, with the second offense leading to license suspension for three years. The license is revoked if the pilot fails the breath analyser test for the third time.