Air India flight to Canada makes a U-turn after 8 hours of flight, operators realise it is the wrong plane

In what can be considered a bizarre incident, a Vancouver-bound Air India flight from Delhi, was forced to return back on evening after flying for over seven hours, This is because the airline mistakenly deployed an aircraft that did not have the regulatory clearance to enter Canada.

The flight AI185, a Boeing, took off from Delhi at 11:34 am with passengers and proceeded eastward but four hours into the flight, after the aircraft entered the Chinese airspace near Kunming the aircraft operator realised that this model of plane is not authorised to operate in Canada.

“Air India flight AI185, operating from Delhi to Vancouver on March 19 returned to Delhi due to an operational issue and in line with established standard operating procedures. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew had disembarked (safely),” an Air India spokesperson said on Friday.

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The spokesperson further said that all necessary help, including offering hotel accommodation was provided to the passengers. Also efforts were made to drop the passengers to their destination at the earliest. The flight departed this morning with all passengers onboard.

Aviation approvals granted by countries differ on airline basis and aircraft types. It sometimes also depends on individual aircraft tail numbers.

So, the Air India flight, a Boeing 777-200LR does not have the approval to operate in Canada, rather it is the Boeing 777-300ER fleet that has been granted permission by the Canadian aviation.