Air India Deploys Wrong Aircraft, Flight AI185 Returns Mid-Air
Air India flight to Vancouver returned after four hours mid-air due to wrong aircraft deployment; passengers unharmed.
An Air India flight bound for Vancouver returned to Delhi on Monday after nearly nine hours in the air due to a regulatory issue involving the aircraft type. Flight AI185 took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport at 11:34 a.m., but the airline realized mid-flight that the plane was not authorized to operate on Canadian routes.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777-200LR, whereas Air India currently holds approval to operate only its Boeing 777-300ER fleet on services to Canada. Aviation approvals can differ by country, with some granted to airlines generally and others restricted to specific aircraft types or individual tail numbers. This discrepancy prompted the decision to turn the flight around.
Flight AI185 initially followed an eastward route, avoiding the Gulf conflict zone. More than four hours into the journey, when the plane entered Chinese airspace near Kunming, airline officials confirmed the aircraft lacked regulatory clearance for Canadian airspace. The decision was made promptly to ensure compliance and safety.
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The plane landed safely back in Delhi at 7:19 p.m., and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident. Air India described the event as an "operational issue" in an official statement and said the return was handled according to standard operating procedures. "The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests," the airline said.
Air India said ground teams in Delhi assisted passengers with hotel accommodations and other necessities. The airline also arranged for the flight to depart again the following morning with all passengers onboard, aiming to minimize disruption to travelers’ schedules.
The incident is expected to carry substantial financial implications, as a Boeing 777 typically consumes eight to nine tonnes of fuel per hour depending on operating conditions. Aviation experts note that such mid-flight returns, while rare, highlight the importance of strict adherence to international regulatory approvals for aircraft deployment.
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