What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: An Air India flight, AI173, en route from Delhi to San Francisco, was forced to make an emergency landing in the remote Russian town of Magadan due to a technical issue with one of its engines. The flight was carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew members, including an unspecified number of American nationals.
Air India promptly responded by dispatching a replacement plane to Magadan to rescue the stranded passengers. The airline stated that efforts were underway to ensure the safe return of all passengers to their original destination.
“UPDATE: FERRY FLIGHT TO MAGADAN AIRBORNE. Our ferry flight AI195 from Mumbai (BOM) to Magadan, Russia (GDX) is now airborne, and is expected to arrive at GDX at 0630 Hours (local time) on 08 June 2023.
An Air India team is on board the flight to provide any support that the passengers and staff at GDX 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 from GDX to San Francisco (SFO). The aircraft operating the ferry flight will take all passengers and crew onward to San Francisco on 08 June 2023,” Air India tweeted from its official Twitter handle.
The incident highlighted the importance of Air India’s revised route, which involved flying over the North Pole to reduce fuel costs and flight time. The new route, chosen to avoid the Pacific Ocean, proved beneficial in this situation, as it allowed the flight to make an emergency landing in Magadan, which has the necessary facilities to accommodate a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.
Meanwhile, a ferry flight carrying food and essentials is expected to reach Magadan soon to provide support to the stranded passengers. The ferry flight, initially scheduled for departure at 8:30 am IST, was later rescheduled to 1 pm IST.
The situation raised concerns regarding the safety of the American nationals stranded in Russia, given the strained relations between the US and Russia. Notably, American carriers no longer fly over Russian airspace, while Indian, Chinese, Gulf-based, and African carriers continue their operations over Russia.
