A pilot for Air India has been deported from the United States after he was discovered carrying marijuana in his personal baggage. The pilot, who was deadheading on a flight to San Francisco, was then found with the illegal substance on arrival. While marijuana is legal in the state of California, the airport remains under federal jurisdiction, meaning that international travelers can face harsh consequences if found with it on their person.

After being found with marijuana on him, the pilot was deported from the United States and sent back to India on the first available flight. Air India also maintains a zero-tolerance drug policy and violations of the law, and has suggested that the individual will face strict disciplinary action.

Found With Marijuana On Arrival At San Francisco

Credit: San Francisco International Airport

Although the pilot was tested and cleared for the presence of marijuana in his system, his attempt to bring a controlled substance into the US from a foreign country will come with consequences. In India, the use of medicinal marijuana is not permitted, so it remains unclear what the pilot’s intentions were. Following the incident, Air India has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and will cooperate with any investigation.

The pilot had traveled to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on the Air India non-stop flight that operates from Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), as a passenger (deadheading). The individual was then expected to operate as the co-pilot for a scheduled flight. Deadheading is where airline staff travel as passengers to be relocated to another port, usually away from their home base, to then operate a flight.

Once the pilot was found to have the drugs on his person and was subsequently deported, the individual was then sent back on Thursday, April 16, on the first available flight back to India.

Safety Remains Air India’s Number One Priority

Credit: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

In the state of California, the use of marijuana is fully legal, meaning that domestic travelers are permitted to travel with personal amounts; however, it is important to keep in mind that airports do fall under federal jurisdiction. This means that those traveling within the state are permitted to carry the substance, however, when traveling internationally, this would fall under national law.

After Air India was informed of the incident and alerted the relevant authorities back home, the co-pilot will likely be facing an internal investigation at home and be responsible for answering to the DGCA. As a result, disciplinary action will be expected in line with the airline’s policy. Air India has shared the following statement in relation to the matter, as first reported by The Times of India:

“One of our crew members traveling 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. Appropriate strict disciplinary action will be taken as per laid-down company policies. Ensuring safety, as always, remains Air India’s number one priority.

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Air India’s Non-Stop Service To San Francisco

Credit: GCMap

The flight in question for the pilot was AI173, which, according to Flightradar24, departed from Delhi on April 14 at 3:51 AM local time, almost an hour behind its scheduled departure time of 2:55 AM. The flight took off heading north, before a quick U-turn to direct the flight across Asia and eventually across the Pacific Ocean.

After the 15-hour flight, the plane descended into San Francisco, landing at 6:25 AM the same day, marginally ahead of the 7:00 AM arrival time. It remains unclear when the Air India pilot was expected to operate on the return flight. Usually, the airline would operate ten flights a week, but this has been reduced to seven weekly due to conflict in the Middle East, which has upended some of the airline’s flight paths. The return flight is now also stopping over in Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) for technical reasons:

The amended schedule for Air India to San Francisco is expected to last until September 30. All other North American services by the Star Alliance carrier are set to face some reduction in services.