US-bound Air India plane makes emergency landing in Russia’s Siberia; airline operates ferry flight from Mumbai to fly passengers

New Delhi, July 19

An Air India airplane flying from Delhi to San Francisco made an emergency landing in Russia after the crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area, the airline said on Friday, its second such incident on the route in just over a year.

Many carriers, including US and European Union airlines, avoid Russian airspace following the war in Ukraine, but Air India uses that route, giving it a flying time and cost advantage on US-bound flights.

The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying 225 passengers and 19 flight crew, made a precautionary landing safely in the Russian region of Siberia at the Krasnoyarsk International Airport, the airline said in a statement.

It added Air India was “concerned about the passengers and staff and are making every effort possible to operate the ferry flight as soon as possible.”

The airport said the flight’s crew had been moved to hotels, and passengers were in the international departure area, which angered some of those stranded, according to social media posts.

Mayank Gupta, whose mother was on the flight, wrote on X he was “sad and angry” that her medicines and luggage remained on the airplane.

A passenger said on X that people were struggling to get food and water, posting a photo showing some passengers sleeping on the floor inside the airport area.

In another statement on Friday, Air India said representatives from the Indian consulate in Moscow travelled to Krasnoyarsk overnight and “are working with Russian authorities to allow passengers to move to hotels, which have been on standby throughout the night.”

The airport said the plane landed due to an activated smoke detector. Regulatory clearances have been obtained for a relief flight that will depart Mumbai at 11 a.m. India time (0530 GMT) on Friday and ferry the guests out of the airport, Air India said.

Shortly after the incident, Russia’s civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, said the aircraft had taxied to a parking spot after landing and there had been no signs of a fire or smoke onboard.

Boeing and a spokesperson for the US State Department deferred to Air India for comment on the incident.

Russia banned many foreign carriers from its airspace in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, and many countries and airlines also banned their planes from crossing over all or part of Russia.

The bans have redrawn air routes and upset business models for some airlines that now need to fly around the world’s largest country. United Airlines cancelled many of its non-stop US-India flights due to the issue.

Meanwhile, Air India on Friday operated a ferry flight from Mumbai to fly its Delhi-San Francisco flight passengers.

“Our ferry flight AI1179 from Mumbai (BOM) to Krasnoyarsk, Russia (KJA) is now airborne, and is expected to arrive at KJA at 2000 hours (local time) on 19 July,” Air India said in a post on X.

It also said that an Air India team, including crew and security personnel, are on board the ferry flight to provide any support that the passengers and staff at the Russian airport may require.

The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to sufficient food for all passengers. The aircraft will ferry all passengers and crew out of KJA at the earliest, it said.

In June 2023, an Air India Boeing plane on the same route was stranded for a day after reporting a technical issue.

Passengers on that flight, including US citizens, were housed in makeshift accommodation at Russia’s remote Magadan airport.

Air India sent an aircraft a day later to pick up the stranded passengers.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Russia has dispatched a team of three senior officials and interpreter that has reached on ground in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, to assist the passengers.

The embassy said, the team is coordinating with airport and security authorities and Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry to provide all possible assistance to the passengers.

The team would stay on ground in Krasnoyarsk till Air India’s replacement plane arrives and takes the passengers on their onward journey. —with agencies