Air India sends relief plane to US-bound passengers stranded in Russia  

Air India has sent a relief aircraft to pick up 225 passengers and 19 flight crew from the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk, after their US-bound flight aboard a Boeing 777 was forced to make an emergency landing on Thursday.   

Flight AI183 from New Delhi to San Francisco was forced to land in the Siberian city after the cockpit crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area. A relief aircraft has already arrived in Krasnoyarsk from Mumbai on Friday and will depart to the US on the same day.  

“AI183 of 18 July 2024 operating Delhi to San Francisco had made a precautionary landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport (KJA) in Russia at around midnight local time. Air India’s local support was activated to assist passengers, who were required by authorities to remain in the terminal building in the absence of Russian visas,” the airline said in a statement, according to Economic Times.

The stranded passengers were provided with food and drink in the international departures lounge area, according to media reports. A video posted by the Mash telegram channel showed passengers standing in line for food. Special arrangements were made by airport authorities to provide suitable options for vegetarians, RIA Novosti reported.  

Senior Indian officials and an interpreter reached Krasnoyarsk to assist the passengers on Friday, New Delhi’s embassy in Moscow wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “The team will stay on the ground in Krasnoyarsk till Air India’s replacement plane arrives and takes the passengers on their onward journey,” it added.  

The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed it was aware of the situation and was in contact with Air India and the relevant authorities.

It is not the first time an Indian flight en route to San Francisco has had to make an emergency landing in Russia. In June last year, another Boeing 777 landed in the Far Eastern city of Magadan after one of its engines was believed to be malfunctioning. The passengers continued their journey on another Air India flight after spending almost 40 hours in Russia. 

Videos that appeared on social media then showed the stranded passengers, several of whom are senior citizens, staying at what appeared to be a local school. One of the passenger told Indian broadcaster NDTV of the challenging situation because of linguistic barriers and a lack of proper facilities, including the availability of vegetarian food. However, he was quick to point out that the Russian authorities were “nice,” despite the difficulties. 

Russia has blocked US airlines and a number of other foreign carriers from using its airspace, in retaliation for Washington banning Russian flights over the US following the launch of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. However, Air India and several other carriers continue to fly over Russia, making travel times shorter and the travel cost more affordable.

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