India's Civil Aviation Ministry summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on Tuesday to discuss a flight that lost altitude during its cruise [1, 2].
The meeting follows a safety incident that has raised questions about pilot conduct and oversight within one of India's largest carriers. The government's intervention signals a low tolerance for safety lapses as the aviation sector expands.
The incident occurred on Aug. 4, 2026, involving flight AI2379 from Phuket, Thailand, to Delhi [3, 4]. An Airbus A320 carrying 137 passengers lost about 300 feet of altitude during its cruise before stabilizing and landing safely [1, 3].
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu met with Wilson on Aug. 11 to address the unexplained altitude loss [1, 2]. During the proceedings, Kinjarapu said, "Aviation safety remains the government's topmost priority" [2].
Further complicating the investigation, a source familiar with the matter said the captain tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test [2]. The ministry has not released a formal statement regarding the captain's employment status or the specific cause of the altitude drop.
Wilson, who is the outgoing CEO and Accountable Manager, was required to attend the meeting at the ministry's offices in New Delhi [1, 4]. The summons highlights the direct accountability the ministry expects from airline leadership, especially when safety protocols are breached.
Air India has not yet provided a detailed public response to the drug test results or the specifics of the flight's altitude loss [1, 2].
“"Aviation safety remains the government's topmost priority."”
This incident places Air India under intense regulatory scrutiny at a time when the carrier is attempting to modernize its operations. The discovery of a pilot testing positive for a controlled substance suggests a potential failure in pre-flight screening or internal wellness monitoring. By summoning the CEO directly, the Indian government is signaling that operational errors and pilot misconduct will be treated as systemic leadership failures rather than isolated crew errors.
