Air traffic controller at Delhi international airport sacked for allegedly using psychoactive drug - report

The airport was ranked the second busiest, hosting over 5 million international passengers in 2022

An air traffic controller at the Delhi airport tested positive for a psychoactive substance (AFP via Getty Images)

An air traffic controller (ATC) at the Delhi international airport was sacked after he allegedly tested positive for a psychoactive substance, according to Indian media reports.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) penalised the ATC at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) - the capital city’s only airport - after his drug test report was received on 18 August, aviation regulator sources said.

It was the first time an ATC tested positive for drug use after the rules for the testing of flight crew and ATCs for psychoactive substances came into effect since January 2022, the sources said, according to PTI news agency.

According to World Health Organisation, psychoactive drugs affect mental processes, eg perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions when taken.

The person, who was not identified, was subjected to the examination in accordance with the law and his positive report was received on 18 August, getting subsequently removed from the job by the air traffic controller office, it reported.

The test is conducted randomly on flight and ATC crew, according to the guidelines for examination detailed in the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR).

Three pilots of different airlines have found positive for drug use so far since the law was enacted on 31 January.

The person who tests positive for psychoactive drugs is referred to a de-addiction centre for rehabiliation after testing positive for the first time.

License is suspected for three years if the same person tests positive for the second time and it is terminated if the person defaults the third time.

Delhi international airport was ranked the world’s second busiest in March 2022, in terms of frequency of domestic and international flights as well as seat capacity by Official Airline Guide (OAG), a leading global travel data operator.

The airport sprawling across 5.4 million square feet of the area saw 31.65 million domestic passengers, and 5.49 million international traffic in 2021.