KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia Airlines has introduced enhanced drug screening measures following the recent detention of its pilot over alleged drug-related offences in Indonesia.
The national airline's parent firm Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said in a statement on Friday that the move reaffirms its zero-tolerance stance on misconduct and operational safety.
The group has begun mandatory drug screening for all 1,260 Malaysia Airlines pilots, with the exercise expected to be completed by Aug. 15. Pilots who fail to complete the screening by the deadline will not be rostered to operate flights until they have been cleared under MAG's procedures and regulatory requirements.
MAG said it will also implement mandatory drug screening for all active pilots, supplementing its existing random testing programme, before extending the initiative to cabin crew.
Its president and group chief executive officer Captain Nasaruddin A Bakar said operational safety and crew fitness for duty remain non-negotiable, adding that the latest measures were introduced in response to an isolated incident that does not reflect the professionalism of the group's workforce.
MAG clarified that the detained individual was a second officer travelling in the cockpit jump seat as an observer and was not operating the aircraft. The individual had been off duty for two days before the incident, while the flight was operated safely by two qualified pilots. ■