Air India Express has suspended eight crew members, including four pilots and four cabin crew, for a duration of three months after they failed to undergo a mandatory post-flight breathalyser test within the stipulated timeframe. The regulatory infraction occurred following the landing of an international service operating from Dubai to Amritsar on August 2, 2026.
Under current safety mandates enforced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), crew members operating international flights into Indian destinations must undergo alcohol testing and submit their post-flight declarations within a strict two-hour window following landing. While the aircraft arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar on schedule, the eight crew members did not submit to the breathalyser examination until 2 hours and 35 minutes after landing, exceeding the maximum permissible timeframe by 35 minutes.
