An Air India flight from Delhi to Vancouver was forced to return to its origin after flying for nearly eight hours, following an administrative lapse related to landing permissions in Canada.
The flight, AI-185, departed Delhi International Airport at 11:34 am on March 19 with passengers bound for Vancouver. While the aircraft was passing near Kunming in Chinese airspace, it was discovered that the flight did not have the required clearance to land in Canada.
According to the report, Canada had granted permission for Air India’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, but the flight was being operated using a Boeing 777-200LR. With the mismatch identified mid-journey, the aircraft turned back and safely landed in Delhi after a total flight time of 7 hours and 54 minutes.
In a statement, Air India said the return was due to an administrative issue and that the decision was taken to follow standard operating procedures. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience and said all affected passengers later departed for Vancouver on an alternate flight.
