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Air India Removes Officer After Failed Alcohol Test

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 4:09 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Air India removed a first officer from flight AI151 after he failed an alcohol test.
Zurich ground staff smelled alcohol on the pilot and alerted authorities on September 6, 2026.
He failed a preliminary breath-analyser test, with a secondary test result pending.
Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation acted under Swiss law and notified India’s DGCA.
Flight AI151 could not depart on September 6 and was operated to Delhi the next day.

History

Historical Context

Since the FAA adopted Regulation 91.17, which bans pilots with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.04 % or higher, the United States has enforced zero-tolerance testing for aircrew. On 6 September 2026, Air India’s first officer recorded a breath-test above that limit at Zurich Airport, prompting the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation to notify India’s DGCA and reinforcing worldwide pre-flight screening.

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Story summary

Air India removed a first officer from flight AI151 after he failed an alcohol test.
Zurich ground staff smelled alcohol on the pilot and alerted authorities on September 6, 2026.
He failed a preliminary breath-analyser test, with a secondary test result pending.
Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation acted under Swiss law and notified India’s DGCA.
Flight AI151 could not depart on September 6 and was operated to Delhi the next day.

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