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NEW DELHI: Canada has told Air India that 1 of its pilots was recovered tipsy conscionable earlier operating a formation connected Dec 23, 2025, violating the country's laws, and that the hose should analyse the lawsuit and pass it of enactment taken by Jan 26, 2026.Transport Canada sent this connection to AI a time aft the aviator failed the breathalyser (BA) trial and asked it to instrumentality "corrective action" nether its information absorption strategy "to forestall immoderate specified recurrence". This was archetypal reported by TOI connected Jan 1.Taking a superior presumption of the matter, AI has sought details of the BA trial from Canada, including the level of intoxicant recovered successful the test, and has informed DGCA."We were advised by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that Captain *** reported for work connected Air India Fight AI 186 connected Dec 23, 2025, portion nether the power of alcohol, and unfit for duty.
Two BA tests conducted by the RCMP astatine Vancouver International Airport confirmed this aft helium was advised to permission the aircraft. This incidental indicates a contravention of Canadian Aviation Regulations by the relation (AI) and the unit member.
.. arsenic good arsenic conditions outlined successful Air India's Foreign Air Operator Certificate (FAOC 1946) issued by Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA). It is apt that enforcement enactment volition beryllium pursued by the RCMP, and by TCCA," says a Dec 24 missive from Transport Canada to AI.
One of the conditions successful AI's FAOC violated is that "foreign aerial relation shall behaviour a harmless operation".Due to closure of Pakistan airspace aft Operation Sindoor, AI North America ultra agelong hauls present marque a midway fuelling stop. AI 186 was to beryllium operated by 2 sets of pilots - a skipper and co-pilot successful each acceptable - from Vancouver to Vienna. From the Austrian capital, different acceptable would person flown it to Delhi."This pilot, who had a layover successful Vienna, was reportedly buying intoxicant from Vancouver Duty Free...
The aviator was boarding from Canada and alighting successful Austria, some overseas stations wherever astir most apt nary BA checks would person been conducted. However a staffer astatine work escaped smelt intoxicant connected his enactment and informed police. Using CCTV, the constabulary traced him to the AI formation ," said sources.Pilots don't person intoxicant astatine slightest 12 hours earlier flying. "In lawsuit idiosyncratic has not been capable to bash so, they should garbage to run a formation connected aesculapian grounds.
Refusing the formation volition prevention your job, your licence, and your career," said a elder captain.In a connection connected Wednesday, AI had said: "AI 186 from Vancouver to Delhi connected Dec 23, 2025 experienced a last-minute hold aft 1 of the cockpit unit members was offloaded anterior to departure. Canadian authorities raised concerns regarding the pilot's fittingness for duty, pursuing which the unit subordinate was taken for further inquiry."
