New Delhi [India], March 20 (ANI): Air India flight AI185, operating from Delhi to Vancouver on March 19, returned to New Delhi due to an operational issue and in line with established standard operating procedures, the airline said on Friday.

According to a statement issued by Air India, the aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked.

'We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unforeseen situation. Our ground teams in Delhi provided all necessary assistance, including offering hotel accommodation while every effort was made to fly the passengers to their destination at the earliest. The flight has left this morning with all the passengers,' the statement said.

'At Air India, the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,' it added.

The incident comes at a time when Air India and other airlines have been ramping up their international operations amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Earlier on Tuesday, Air India announced to operate additional flights on five routes between March 19 and 28 across North America and Europe, amidst the rising demand due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.

In an official release, Air India said that 36 additional flights on Delhi-London (Heathrow), Mumbai-London (Heathrow), Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Zurich and Delhi-Toronto routes, which will add a total of 10,012 seats, will boost capacity and provide more choice to travellers when travel options remain limited.

'Amid continued high demand for international travel due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region, Air India today announced it will continue to operate additional flights to key destinations in Europe and North America through 28 March 2026. Between 19 and 28 March 2026, Air India will operate 36 extra flights on the following routes: Delhi-London (Heathrow), Mumbai-London (Heathrow) Delhi-Frankfurt, Delhi-Zurich, Delhi-Toronto. Together, these flights will add 10,012 seats on the five routes, further boosting capacity and providing more choice to travellers when travel options remain limited. These services follow Air India's recently announced capacity augmentation between 10 and 18 March with 78 additional flights on nine routes,' the official release from Air India said. (ANI)