KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 17): The mandatory drug screening of Malaysia Airlines pilots has been completed with all 1,260 pilots tested negative.
The next phase will involve about 2,840 cabin crew members, according to a statement from the national flag carrier’s parent company Malaysia Aviation Group. Screening is expected to begin on Aug 18, to be completed by Sept 3, the company said on Monday.
“We are moving ahead with screening across other operational groups to ensure the same rigorous standards are applied consistently across our airlines,” said president and group chief executive officer Captain Nasaruddin Bakar.
The move comes after Indonesian authorities caught a 39-year-old Malaysian pilot in July at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport carrying more than 70,000 ecstasy pills in his suitcase. The pilot was tested positive for several illegal drugs.
Screening is also underway in Firefly for both pilots and cabin crew. As of Aug 15, Firefly screened more than half of its 158 pilots and 163 cabin crew members, and those tested so far have been clean from drugs.
Firefly is also on track to finish its screening process by Aug 25, ahead of its Sept 5 deadline set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Malaysia Aviation Group said.
The company added that it will maintain a random testing programme, along with other measures that include pre-employment screening, medical certification, recurrent training, mandatory pre-flight compliance checks, and crew fitness assessments.