Air India flight AI 185 flew from Delhi to Vancouver on March 19, 2026. The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft (VT-AEI), Air India's last 777-200LR.

Air India has again made a big mistake.

An Air India flight from Delhi to Canada was forced to make a U-turn mid-flight and return to Delhi. The airline's own operational error resulted in inconvenience to hundreds of passengers and a loss of crores of rupees. A 13-hour flight was wasted, fuel wasted, and passengers were stranded, all because a basic pre-flight permission check was not performed.

What happened after all? Learn the whole story.

Air India flight AI 185 flew from Delhi to Vancouver on March 19, 2026. The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft (VT-AEI), Air India's last 777-200LR.

Mistake realized after flight

About four hours later, ground staff suddenly realized that the Boeing 777-300 ER, not the 777-200 LR, had landing permission in Canada. This meant the flight could not land at Vancouver Airport. This check should have been performed before takeoff, but it wasn't.

The pilot was ordered to make a U-turn.

Realizing the error, ground staff immediately instructed the pilot to turn back. The plane made a U-turn and landed safely in Delhi after a flight of approximately nine hours. Following the flight cancellation, Air India accommodated the passengers in a hotel. On March 20, the passengers were flown to Vancouver on the correct aircraft, a Boeing 777-300 ER. The airline stated that the flight returned due to an operational reason and was in accordance with established SOPs. The airline also apologized to the passengers.

The government has tightened these rules

There's good news for air travelers recently. The Modi government at the center has issued several important directives, tightening its grip on airlines. Passengers will no longer have to pay arbitrary fees for seat selection. The Modi government has put a stop to this. The biggest relief is that at least 60 percent of the seats on every flight will now be available to passengers without any additional fees.