Air India ‘flight to nowhere’: Wrong aircraft, 8 hours airborne, forced U-turn

Dubai: It turned into a journey to nowhere for passengers on an Air India flight to Vancouver, after the aircraft was forced to return to Delhi nearly eight hours into the trip due to a regulatory oversight.

Flight AI185 took off from Delhi at 11:34am and initially proceeded as scheduled, heading east toward Canada.

But about four hours into the journey — after entering Chinese airspace near Kunming — the airline realised the aircraft operating the flight did not have the required clearance to enter Canada.

With no option to continue, the plane was turned around mid-air.

By the time it landed back in Delhi, the Boeing 777-200LR had spent a total of 7 hours and 54 minutes in the air — only to return to its point of origin, NDTV reported.

The issue stemmed from aircraft-specific regulatory approvals. While Air India operates multiple Boeing 777 variants, it currently has permission to fly only its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on routes to Canada. Aviation clearances can vary significantly, with some approvals granted to airlines broadly and others tied to specific aircraft types or even individual tail numbers.

Air India described the incident as an “operational issue,” saying the decision to return was taken in line with standard procedures. “The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests,” the airline said in a statement.

Ground teams arranged assistance for affected passengers, including hotel accommodation, and worked to rebook them. The flight eventually departed again the following morning with all passengers onboard.

The episode is also likely to carry a heavy financial cost. A Boeing 777 typically burns between eight and nine tonnes of fuel per hour, meaning the near eight-hour round trip without reaching its destination could translate into a significant operational loss.