An Air India flight bound for Vancouver returned to Delhi after nearly nine hours in the air yesterday, after the airline mistakenly deployed an aircraft that did not have the regulatory clearance to enter Canada.
Flight AI185 took off from Delhi at 11:34 am with passengers and initially proceeded on an eastward route, avoiding the Gulf conflict zone. However, after more than four hours into the journey, when the aircraft entered Chinese airspace near Kunming, the airline realised the aircraft was not authorised to operate in Canada.
The aircraft was a Boeing 777-200LR, while Air India currently has approval to operate only its Boeing 777-300ER fleet on services to Canada. Aviation approvals granted by countries can vary widely: some are issued on an airline basis, while others are specific to aircraft types or even to individual aircraft tail numbers.
Following the realisation, the aircraft was called back to Delhi mid-flight. It landed safely at around 7:19 pm, nearly nine hours after departure. All passengers and crew disembarked without incident.
Air India, in a statement, cited an “operational issue” for the return and said the decision was taken in line with the standard operating procedures. “The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests,” the airline said.
The airline added that ground teams in Delhi arranged assistance for passengers, including hotel accommodation, and made efforts to ensure they reached their destination at the earliest. The flight departed this morning with all passengers onboard.
The incident is expected to have significant cost implications, as a Boeing 777 typically burns about eight to nine tonnes of fuel per hour, depending on operating conditions.