India, Canada and Ireland Mark 41 Years of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 Bombing

Diplomats from India, Canada and Ireland gathered in New Delhi on 23 June 2026 to commemorate the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 and to pay tribute to the 329 people who lost their lives. It was the second consecutive year the three countries held a joint commemoration.

The ceremony was held at Canada House, the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner. Canada's High Commissioner Chris Cooter and Ireland's Deputy Ambassador Raymond Mullen joined family members of the victims, while India was represented by a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of External Affairs. Participants laid wreaths at a memorial tree and observed a moment of silence.

Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747, was flying the Montreal-London-Delhi route when a bomb planted by Khalistani terrorists exploded over the Atlantic Ocean in Irish airspace on 23 June 1985. All 329 people on board were killed, including 268 Canadians (most of Indian origin), 27 British citizens, 22 Indian citizens and 10 Americans. Until the 9/11 attacks, it was the deadliest act of aviation terrorism in the world.

The annual remembrance underlines the shared commitment of the three nations against terrorism. For aspirants, the episode is an important case study of cross-border terrorism, the Khalistan issue and India-Canada relations, which have repeatedly featured in current affairs.