Jyotiraditya Scindia reports that a ferry flight from India to Russia is taking stranded passengers there
Following an emergency landing by an Air India aircraft in Russia on Wednesday, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia promised the safe return of San Francisco-bound passengers and said that a ferry flight had already left India.
Due to an engine issue in the Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft, Air India flight AI173 with 216 passengers and 16 crew had to make a diversion and land in Magadan, Russia on Tuesday.
“A Boeing 777-200 took off at 1 pm,”…It would land there, board all passengers, and travel to San Francisco safely during the approximately six-and-a-half-hour flight, Scindia assured reporters.
Air India had earlier in the day stated that, pending requisite regulatory approvals, a ferry flight from Mumbai to GDX (Magadan) is planned to depart at 1300 hours IST on Wednesday, taking passengers and crew of AI173 to San Francisco.
“Food and other necessities would be transported on the ferry aircraft for the passengers. We can confirm that all passengers were finally transported to a temporary lodging due to the lack of infrastructure near the remote airport, despite our genuine efforts to book them into nearby hotels with the assistance of local government officials, the statement stated.
