It’s the winters, which means something has to go wrong at Air India. This time, it is not someone alleging peeing on someone else, but it is a drunk pilot.
Air India pilot found drunk at Vancouver Airport
Last month, on December 23, 2025, a senior Air India pilot scheduled to operate Flight AI186 from Vancouver to Delhi (via Vienna) was offloaded at Vancouver International Airport after failing a breathalyser test administered by Canadian authorities.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) intervened after a staffer at the duty-free area reportedly detected the smell of alcohol on the pilot’s breath. Two consecutive tests confirmed the presence of alcohol well above acceptable limits for the flight crew. This constituted a clear breach of Canadian aviation regulations and conditions of Air India’s Foreign Air Operator Certificate.
As a result, the flight was delayed by 7 hours, and an alternate pilot was rostered to take over. The incident came to light when Transport Canada wrote to Air India demanding an official response. Here is the letter.
Transport Canada has requested Air India conduct a thorough internal review under its Safety Management System (SMS) and submit details of corrective actions by January 26, 2026. There’s also the possibility of enforcement action by Canadian regulators depending on the investigation’s findings.
Air India issued an official statement on the subject, stating,
Flight AI186 from Vancouver to Delhi on 23 December 2025 experienced a last-minute delay after one of the cockpit crew members was offloaded prior to departure. Canadian authorities raised concerns regarding the pilot’s fitness for duty, following which the crew member was taken for further inquiry. In accordance with safety protocols, an alternate pilot was rostered to operate the flight, resulting in the delay.
Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers and is fully cooperating with the local authorities. The pilot has been taken off flying duties during the process of enquiry. Air India maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of applicable rules and regulations. Pending the outcome of the investigation, any confirmed violation will attract strict disciplinary action in line with company policy. Safety remains Air India’s highest priority at all times.
Canada is a notoriously difficult market for airlines to gain access to. While I hope there will be no action against the airline, given the size of the Indian diaspora in the country, what is essential to see is how Air India will fix its system for bases where, ideally, a breath-analyser test should be mandated but is not.
Bottomline
An Air India captain was detained in Canada in December 2025, since breathanalyser tests confirmed he reported for the flight under the influence of alcohol. Due to this incident, Air India flight AI186 between Vancouver and Vienna, en route to Delhi, was delayed by 7 hours at Vancouver as an alternate pilot was rostered. This is yet another instance of Air India getting into trouble.
What do you make of the Air India pilot being caught for trying to operate a flight under the influence of alcohol, and what do you think is the way to punish this?
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If a pilot from a Third World country is found drunk it’s a travel blog bonanza. If an American pilot is found drunk it’s Tuesday.