Aviation regulator DGCA has asked Air India to implement corrective measures after the airline deployed an unapproved aircraft on its Delhi-Vancouver flight last week, a senior official said on Thursday. Action has also been taken against an airline official for the incident, the official added.
A Boeing 777-200 LR, operating Air India flight AI185, was airborne for over seven hours on March 19 before returning to Delhi when it was found the aircraft was not approved for the route. Only the Boeing 777-300 ER is authorized to operate this flight.
Following the incident, the DGCA sought a report from the airline. "Air India flight AI185, operating from Delhi to Vancouver on 19 March, returned to Delhi due to an operational issue and in line with established standard operating procedures. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew had disembarked," the airline said in a statement on March 20.
Sources had earlier indicated that an apparent lapse in updating the list of requirements for flights to Canada led to the wrong aircraft being deployed. There was no immediate comment from Air India on Thursday.