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Air India ferry flight with passengers stranded in Russia lands in San Francisco
Air India had diverted its flight AI183 from New Delhi to San Francisco towards Russia after a technical glitch on Thursday.
Air India on Saturday said the relief aircraft for passengers of its Delhi-San Francisco flight stranded in Russia has landed safely in San Francisco. Air India had diverted its flight AI183 from New Delhi to San Francisco towards Russia after a technical glitch on Thursday. There were 225 passengers and 19 crew members onboard.
The flight made a precautionary landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Krai on Thursday after the cockpit crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area.
The next day, Air India dispatched a relief flight from New Delhi to Krasnoyarsk Krai. The ferry flight also carried on board essentials in addition to sufficient food for all passengers. A delegation from the Indian Embassy in Moscow also went to the airport to assist the passengers.
In its latest update on Friday, Air India said that flight AI1179 landed safely in San Francisco at 8.27 local time.
“We thank the DGCA, the Government of India, the Embassy of India in Russia, the Russian authorities, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Krasnoyarsk International Airport, and all partners involved for their support in the situation,” Air India wrote on X.
“Finally, our thanks to the passengers of AI183 of 18 July for their patience and understanding during the diversion. Safety remains our foremost priority, and something we will never compromise on,” it added.
In a similar incident last year, an Air India fight on the same route had suffered technical problems and had to be diverted to Russia's remote town Magadan.
The Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft was carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew at the time. Its passengers were then shifted to makeshift accommodation in a school, where they remained for two days.
A replacement flight, carrying food and other essentials, was subsequently sent from Mumbai. The ferry flight later took the passengers to San Francisco.
