Overview
- The co-pilot, who traveled on April 14 from Delhi to San Francisco as positioning crew, was deemed inadmissible on arrival and was sent back to India.
- U.S. border officers enforce federal law at airports even though recreational marijuana is legal in California, so possession can block entry.
- Air India said it alerted India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, and started an inquiry with possible action under company rules.
- Reports say the pilot had not consumed marijuana and was allegedly found with it in his baggage, after which he was held at the airport.
- He was headed to operate a return flight, highlighting roster and safety-management stakes, and the case follows a December 2025 removal of an Air India captain in Vancouver after failed breath tests.