This strikes me as being spectacularly bad judgment on so many levels…
Air India pilot deported over marijuana possession
An Air India pilot has been deported from the United States after he was allegedly found to be carrying marijuana in his luggage. The pilot was traveling on official business, as he was deadheading, so he wasn’t flying the plane. He was supposed to work a flight out of San Francisco (SFO) two days later to Kolkata (CCU), as the route had been suspended for a number of days, hence the need to reposition pilots.
Given that authorities found marijuana on him, he was sent back to India on the next flight. For what it’s worth, while we had marijuana on him, he hadn’t consumed it, according to sources. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is now investigating this incident. A spokesperson for the airline shared the following:
“One of our crew members travelling from Delhi to San Francisco on April 14, for positioning to operate a subsequent flight, was found to be inadmissible as per local laws and has been sent back to India. Air India maintains zero-tolerance towards any violation of the law and upholds the highest standards of safety, compliance, and professional conduct. Appropriate strict disciplinary action will be taken as per laid down company policies. Ensuring safety, as always, remains Air India’s number one priority.”
Of course the irony here is that marijuana is legal in California, including for recreational use. However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) follows federal laws rather than state laws, which is why this is an issue.
Was this a dumb mistake, or what happened?
Let me say that I think marijuana is stigmatized way too much, and personally I think it’s better than alcohol in just about every way, if you’re looking to wind down, or whatever. A lot of people like to put all “drugs” in one category, but there’s obviously a difference between between possessing a personal amount of marijuana, vs. having a drug mule quantity of cocaine.
That being said, I can’t help but be confused here:
- Pilots are not allowed to consume marijuana at all (which I think is stupid, but that’s besides the point), and they do get drug tested, so a vast majority of pilots do follow regulations, because their careers are on the line
- If he did want to consume marijuana, he could’ve just bought it in California, given that it’s legal there
So was he actually intending to consume it during his layover, or was it somehow accidentally placed in his bag? And if it was an accident, how exactly does that happen? I can’t imagine someone would find that to be a funny joke, so was it done with malicious intent, or…? More than anything else, the big issue here is the poor judgment of traveling with marijuana as a pilot (assuming he knew he had it on him).
Bottom line
An Air India pilot flying to the United States was denied entry at SFO because marijuana was found in his bag. He was deadheading on this sector, as he was supposed to work a flight a couple of days later. However, he ended up being sent back to India on the next flight.
Pilots have to follow strict rules on drugs. But even dumber than that, if he was going to consume marijuana (not that he should, because he would put his career in jeopardy), he could’ve just bought it in California!
What do you make of this Air India pilot marijuaan story?