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Why pilot samples that fail drug test have to be sent to labs abroad

DGCA rules highlight limited capabilities among private labs in India to confirm drug tests

Similar to 9/11, the fear of flying has also hit business travel the hardest and it is expected to return the last — and only after a revival of leisure travel.
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The DGCA had in January introduced norms for testing of aviation professionals for psychoactive substances

Aneesh Phadnis Mumbai
It has been six months since the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA’s) rules regarding the use of drugs by aviation professionals came into force on January 31. According to these rules, commercial airlines and air navigation service providers have to carry out random drug tests on at least 10 per cent of their flight crew and air traffic controllers every year.

In recent weeks, three airline pilots have tested positive for psychotropic substances. In the case of all three crew members, the samples were sent overseas for a confirmatory test using the gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid