Air India plane from Delhi to San Francisco lands in Russia after engine problem
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Air India plans to send a plane to pick up the passengers stranded in Russia and fly them to their original destination in the US.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON – An Air India plane flying from Delhi to San Francisco was forced to divert and land at an airport in Russia’s Far East region after it developed a technical issue with one of its engines, the airline said on Tuesday.
The diversion of the Boeing 777 wide-body aircraft comes amid a global debate over the use of Russian airspace by some carriers, with the chief of United Airlines warning on Monday of the dangers of a plane being forced to land in Russia with American citizens on board.
The 216 passengers and 16 crew on board were being offered support on the ground and accommodated in local hotels for the night, Air India said.
US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said on Tuesday it was “likely” there were Americans on board, given the plane’s planned destination.
“We are aware of a US-bound flight that had to make an emergency landing in Russia and are continuing to monitor that situation closely,” Mr Patel said.
The airline said it planned to send a plane on Wednesday to pick up the passengers and fly them to their original destination.
“The authorities are extending all cooperation in our effort to ensure that passengers safely reach their destination at the earliest,” it said.
Air India said it could not share any passenger details.
Russia’s aviation authority said it was checking on the plane’s technical condition after it landed at the airport in Magadan, and had given permission for the alternative flight to land there at 0300 GMT (11am Singapore time) on Wednesday. The alternative flight was scheduled to leave Delhi at 1835 GMT on Tuesday.
“At present, the question of passengers’ stay and accommodation is being resolved by border, Customs and regional authorities,” Rosaviatsia – Russia’s federal air transport agency – said earlier in the day.
The airport at Magadan, a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia’s Far East region, did not respond to a request for comment.
The diversion also raises questions over how quickly the US$200 million (S$270 million) Boeing 777, a high-profile US-built plane whose engines are made by General Electric (GE), can be repaired amid US and European Union sanctions on exports of aviation items to Russia.
In 2018, a Norwegian Air Boeing 737 made an emergency landing in Iran with engine problems weeks after Washington reimposed sanctions on the country and became stranded for more than two months.
The 186 passengers and six crew were able to fly out of Shiraz the next day. But despite initial assurances from the airline that the plane would also quickly be repatriated, a GE engine venture waited weeks for a US Treasury export licence.
The US Department of Commerce did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Mr Patel declined to say if the United States would approve export of repair parts if needed.
GE Aerospace said it was aware of the diversion and was working with Air India to resolve the issue.
Banned
On Monday, Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson defended the airline’s use of Russian airspace, noting the critical role the industry plays in connecting economies, people and cultures.
“Air India, we operate according to the ambit of what is provided to us by the nation of India and not all nations agree,” he said on a panel at the International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Istanbul.
Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson defended the airline’s use of Russian airspace.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
Russia has barred US airlines and other foreign carriers from using its airspace in retaliation for Washington banning Russian flights over the United States in March 2022 after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.
However, Air India and some Gulf-based, Chinese and African carriers continue to fly over Russia, making flying times shorter and American rivals uncompetitive.
In February, US senators urged the Biden administration to halt Chinese airlines and other non-American carriers from flying over Russia on US routes.
Reuters reported last week that Chinese airlines are avoiding using Russian airspace
Air India appeared to continue flying over Russia after the incident, with four flights over the country on Tuesday afternoon, according to Flightradar24. REUTERS
