Vancouver Airport Alerted as Air India Flight Issues Fire Warning

Saturday, November 30, 2024

A Tata Group-owned Air India aircraft, registered VT-ALO and designated as flight AI185, experienced a cargo fire alert while en route from Delhi International Airport (DEL) to Vancouver Airport (YVR), Canada. The incident occurred as the Boeing 777 was flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet about 425 nautical miles northwest of Vancouver, according to reports from the Aviation Herald.

In response to the alert, the flight crew issued a Mayday call and made preparations for an emergency landing in Vancouver, the nearest suitable location. They promptly rerouted and aimed for a safe landing, prioritizing the well-being of everyone on board. However, the fire alarm was later deactivated, allowing the crew to reduce the emergency level to a PAN PAN, indicating a decrease in urgency.

The aircraft landed safely on Vancouver’s runway 26L roughly one hour post-alert. Emergency teams examined the plane following landing, but found no signs of fire, heat, or smoke in the cargo area after the passengers had left the aircraft.

The Boeing 777-300ER remained in Vancouver for an additional eight hours before it was cleared for its return journey. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board is reviewing the incident.

This aircraft, a 15.4-year-old model powered by GE-90 engines, had a similar experience on a previous occasion. For instance, on April 18, 2023, a SpiceJet Airlines flight from Delhi to Srinagar returned to Indira Gandhi International Airport shortly after takeoff due to a similar cargo fire warning. That situation was also resolved without any actual fire detected, confirmed as a false alarm by SpiceJet officials. The aircraft landed safely and passengers disembarked calmly, with further inspections affirming the safety of the flight.