Passengers on an Air India flight to Vancouver endured a shocking ordeal when their plane was forced to return to Delhi after flying for almost nine hours. The root cause? The Boeing 777-200LR deployed for the trip wasn’t cleared by Canadian regulators for operations in the country.
Scheduled as AI185, the flight lifted off from Delhi at 12:18 PM Thursday, packed to capacity with travelers heading westward. Regulations strictly permit only the Boeing 777-300ER for this demanding Delhi-Vancouver corridor, a detail overlooked in the scheduling.
While the 777-300ER handles up to 396 passengers over 13,650 km, the 777-200LR extends to 15,840 km but seats fewer at 317 max. The error surfaced mid-flight over Chinese airspace near Kunming, about four hours post-takeoff.
With no room for error, the crew executed a safe return, circling back after an extended airborne period. The aircraft landed without incident in Delhi, returning everyone to square one.
Air India’s official response highlighted an ‘operational problem’ resolved per safety standards. Passengers received apologies, hotel stays, and rebooking on a morning flight to their destination.
Delhi ground teams managed the chaos efficiently, providing meals, refreshments, and accommodations. Social media buzzed with accounts of bewildered travelers, some missing connections and celebrations.
Echoing past mishaps, Air India was previously slapped with a Rs 1 crore penalty by DGCA for flying an uncertified Airbus A320neo eight times in November. As the airline pushes for global competitiveness, such incidents undermine confidence in its reliability.
Experts call for deeper audits of fleet approvals and route compliances to avert future embarrassments that mar India’s aviation ambitions.