Air India Sends Reserve Plane for Stranded Passengers in Russia

An Air India flight from New Delhi to San Francisco was forced to make an emergency landing in Russia’s Magadan due to an engine problem. The Boeing 777, which had 216 passengers and 16 crew members on board, landed safely at Magadan airport. Air India has arranged for a reserve plane to take off from Mumbai to transport the affected passengers. The airline stated that the aircraft is undergoing safety checks and that passengers are being provided with support on the ground. The incident occurred a day after United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby raised safety concerns about airlines flying through Russian airspace with American citizens on board. Russia has barred US airlines and other foreign carriers from using its airspace in retaliation for Washington banning Russian flights over the US 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 US rivals uncompetitive.