Air India said on Wednesday that the Boeing 777 carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew members landed safely at Magadan airport in Siberia in Russia's Far East on Tuesday.
Some planes of Air India. Photo: AP
The flight “developed a technical issue with one of its engines,” the airline said, adding that the aircraft was undergoing safety checks and passengers were being assisted.
The airline said later that a replacement plane was flying from Mumbai to Magadan to take stranded passengers to San Francisco on Thursday. The US State Department said there were fewer than 50 US citizens on board.
Air India also said it had sent its technical team to Russia to repair the stricken aircraft, a $200 million US-made Boeing 777. However, the repairs are in question amid US and European Union embargoes on the shipment of aviation equipment to Russia.
"That plane needs repairs, mechanics are on their way with the rescue flight," India's Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters. "I don't know how long it will take to repair that plane but the passengers will be taken to their final destination."
This image shows a plane stuck at Magadan airport in Siberia, Russia on June 7, 2023. Screenshot: AP
A stranded passenger named Gagan told India's NDTV that many Americans on the flight were worried because of tensions between Russia and the US. "There are a lot of worried people here," the passenger said.
Air India has not yet announced the nationalities of the passengers. Some passengers took to social media to complain about the lack of food at their accommodation, which they said looked like a school. One said his mother was given tea, bread and some rice on Tuesday.
Air India said it did not have any staff in Russia and the current support was “the best we can provide in this extraordinary situation… The rescue flight will carry food and other essentials for our passengers”.
"All of us at Air India are... making every effort to bring the rescue aircraft as soon as possible, while ensuring the health, safety and security of everyone while they wait," the statement added.
Bui Huy (according to AP, Reuters)
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