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New Delhi: An Air India pilot was detained at the Vancouver airport after reportedly smelling of alcohol. Reports claimed that an airport staffer either found the man inadvertently sipping wine being offered during the festive season or found him smelling of liquor while he was buying an alcohol bottle. The incident happened on December 23,2025. The woman staffer then reported the Boeing 777 pilot to the Canadian authorities, reported the Times of India. Following her complaint, a breath analyser test was conducted on the pilot.
The pilot was detained after he failed the breath analyser test. However the flight was not delayed much as the airlines managed to find a replacement for the pilot quickly. This was a long haul flight, set to be operated by a set of 4 pilots, comprising 2 pilots and 2 co-pilots.
The flight was scheduled to depart at 3 pm local time. It departed after a 2-hour delay. This was a Vancouver-Vienna-Delhi flight. After the flight landed in Vienna, another set of crew operated the flight from there to Delhi.
Sources said that Air India has taken a very stern view of the matter. The pilot was flown to Delhi, a few days later and is under investigation now. The issue was reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and they are also investigating the issue at their end.
Reports said that either the pilot mistakenly drank an alcoholic drink at the airport, or smelled of alcohol while buying liquor from a duty-free store, and was reported by the female staff member. The airport authorities then traced the pilot in question, using CCTV footage and tracked him to the Air India plane, headed to New Delhi.
Following the incident, Air India released a statement on the matter. They said, "AI 186 from Vancouver to Delhi on Dec 23, 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 then apologised to the passengers in the flight and said that they were fully cooperating with the Canadian authorities in the matter. The pilot was taken off duty, till the enquiry against him is complete. The airlines said that they do not tolerate any dereliction of duty and violation of application of rules and regulations.
They warned that if the enquiry against him finds any violation, strictest action will be taken against him. The airlines said that safety remains their highest priority.
