Air India sends wrong aircraft to Canada, flight forced to return mid-air

NEW DELHI: Air India mistakenly operated a flight to Canada using an aircraft that did not have the required clearance to enter the country. The error was discovered only after the flight had been airborne for more than four hours and had reached near Kunming in Chinese airspace. Following this, the aircraft was instructed to make a U-turn and return to Delhi. The flight eventually landed back in Delhi after being in the air for nearly nine hours.

The incident that caused embarrassment for Air India occurred on Thursday. Only Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are permitted to operate services from India to Canada. However, a Boeing 777-200LR, which does not have such clearance, was mistakenly sent to Vancouver International Airport with 185 passengers on board.

The flight took off from Delhi at 11:34 AM on Thursday and landed back at 7:19 PM. Passengers were provided with hotel accommodation. The following morning, they were flown to Vancouver on a permitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Air India expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers. Reports indicate that action may be taken against those responsible.

Financial loss for Air India
The incident is expected to have caused significant financial loss to Air India. The aircraft involved consumes around 8-9 tonnes of fuel per hour. Additional expenses were incurred for arranging accommodation and other facilities for passengers and crew after the flight returned.

Different aviation protocols
Different countries have specific aviation protocols for foreign airlines. Some nations allow only certain airlines or specific aircraft types to operate flights. Canada has granted permission only for Air India’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to operate services on this route.