Overview
- Canadian officials detained the pilot on December 23 after a breath analyser test reportedly returned a positive result at Vancouver International Airport.
- A duty‑free employee alerted authorities, with reports differing on whether the pilot sampled wine during a promotion or was detected smelling of alcohol while making a purchase.
- Air India offloaded the crew member, rostered a replacement pilot, and the Vancouver–Vienna–Delhi flight AI186 departed roughly two hours late.
- The pilot has been removed from flying duties pending an internal inquiry, and Air India reiterated its zero‑tolerance policy for alcohol violations.
- The airline is cooperating with Canadian authorities, has informed the DGCA, and, according to reports, the pilot was later flown back to Delhi for further proceedings.