Air India said today that 7.6 passengers and 216 crew members on board the flight were moved to temporary accommodation on June 16, due to infrastructure limitations at the airport in the city. Russia's Magadan City, according to Reuters.
The diversion raises questions about how quickly the $777 million Boeing 200, with engines made by General Electric, can be repaired, in the context of the US and European Union (EU) ) imposes embargoes on the export of air goods to Russia.
"That plane needs to be repaired, the mechanics are on board," Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters, referring to the flight that will pick up the stranded passengers. "I don't know how long it will take to repair that plane, but the passengers will be taken to their final destination," Scindia said.
An Air India plane
A source at Magadan airport told Reuters that Air India engineers will arrive in Russia on the aforementioned spare aircraft with spare parts.
A stranded passenger named Gagan told the Indian broadcaster NDTV or there were many American citizens on the flight who were worried about tensions between Russia and the US. Air India did not immediately respond to requests for information on the nationality of the passengers.
Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said on June 6.6 that it was "likely" that there were Americans on board due to the flight's destination.
Angry passengers took to Twitter to complain about inadequate food supplies at their accommodation, which they said looked like a school.
Air India said it did not have any staff in Russia and that the assistance provided to passengers was "the best it can be in this unusual situation", according to Reuters.
