INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: An Air India ferry flight (without passengers) took off from Mumbai for Magadan, Russia, where 232 people — 216 passengers and
16 crew members — are stranded since Tuesday when its Delhi-San Francisco nonstop had diverted to safely following an engine snag
This aircraft will reach Magadan around 1 am IST on June 8 (6.30 am local time) and will then take passengers to their destination
Being a small far eastern Russian port town, Magdan does not have big hotels and all the 232 people have been staying at makeshift
accommodations in wherever they could be arranged like dormitories and basketball courts with many people sleeping on floor
Social media was full of videos and pictures of passengers in these places
The US is also closely watching the situation as a number of American citizens are also believed to be flying this aircraft and are
The concern arises from the current strained ties between the west and Russia following the latter’s invasion of Ukraine.“Our ferry
flight AI 195 from Mumbai to Magadan is airborne, and is expected to arrive there at 6.30 am (local time) on June 8, 2023
An AI team is on board the flight to provide any support that the passengers and staff may require
The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to sufficient amount of food to cater to all passengers on the onward flight scheduled
The aircraft operating the ferry flight will take all passengers and crew onward to San Francisco on June 8,” AI said soon after the ferry
aircraft took off on Wednesday afternoon.“Given the infrastructural limitations around the remote airport, we can confirm that all
passengers were eventually moved to a makeshift accommodation, after making sincere attempts to accommodate passengers in hotels locally
with the help of local government authorities
As we do not have any Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to the passengers
is the best possible in this unusual circumstance through our round the clock liaison with the Consulate General of India in Vladivostok,
local ground handlers, and Russian authorities,” AI said in a statement.Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson at US department of
state said in his media briefing: “We are aware of a US-bound flight that had to make an emergency landing in Russia
We continue to monitor that situation
I am not able to confirm how many US citizens were onboard that flight..
It is likely there are American citizens on board
AI is sending a replacement aircraft to (Magdan) to take passengers to their destination.”Air India’s Delhi-San Francisco (SFO) nonstop
on Tuesday had made a safe landing in Magadan, Russia, after one of the Boeing 777’s engines developed a snag enroute
The aircraft (VT-ALH) with 232 people on board had taken off from IGI Airport at 4 am Tuesday.Unlike western carriers, AI overflies Russian
airspace — though its Moscow flights were suspended last year — while operating between India, mainly Delhi, and North America.01:04Air
India Delhi-San Francisco flight lands in Russia after engine snagWatchStranded in Russia: Air India sends ferry for 232 Passengers stranded
