An AirAsia Indonesia pilot has been taken off duty after being tested positive for morphine.
 
However, AirAsia Indonesia chief executive officer Sunu Widyatmoko said the result could be a false reading as the employee is on prescribed medication.
 
Indonesia Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa Djuraid (right) said the pilot was subjected to a random test after landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali this morning.
 
The pilot was flying AirAsia Flight QZ7510 from Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, according to Tempo.
 
Hadi said the pilot was sent back to Jakarta to undergo further test.
 
According to AirAsia’s Sunu, the positive result could be related to the pilot being recently discharged from hospital.
 
“After interviewing the pilot, we found that he had recently been discharged from hospital after being treated for typhus.
 
“On the day of his drug test, he was still taking prescribed medication, one of which was (a cold medicine) Actifed,” Sunu was quoted as saying by Kompas.com.
 
He added the medication may have triggered a false positive in the pilot.
 
AirAsia Indonesia said the pilot had an "excellent track record" and had worked for the company for nine years.
 
He has been temporarily grounded pending additional test by Indonesia Transport Ministry’s aviation health division.