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This story is from June 8, 2023

After 39 hours, 232 crew & passengers leave Magadan for San Francisco on another Air India aircraft

​​ AI 173 had taken off from Delhi on June 6 at 4.05 am and had made a precautionary landing in Magadan at 2.10 pm (all timings IST) due to an engine snag on the Boeing 777. AL sent another B777 from Mumbai as ferry flight (no passengers) to the Russian city on Wednesday afternoon which finally took those stranded there to SFO at 5 am (IST) on June 8. The aircraft is expected to arrive in SFO at 12.15 am (Pacific daylight time).
Air India ferry flight heads to San Francisco from Russia's Magadan with 232 passengers and crew
NEW DELHI: : Thirty-nine hours after diverting to Russia’s far eastern port city of Magadan, the 232 passengers and crew members of Air India’s diverted Delhi-San Francisco (SFO) flight of June 6 finally left for their destination on Thursday.
AI 173 had taken off from Delhi on June 6 at 4.05 am and had made a precautionary landing in Magadan at 2.10 pm (all timings IST) due to an engine snag on the Boeing 777.
AL sent another B777 from Mumbai as ferry flight (no passengers) to the Russian city on Wednesday afternoon which finally took those stranded there to SFO at 5 am (IST) on June 8. The aircraft is expected to arrive in SFO at 12.15 am (Pacific daylight time).
What was to be a 14-15 hour nonstop will eventually turn out to be an almost 57-hour journey with the 39-hour stop in Magadan.

But in aviation diverting following a snag, including a suspected one, is the safer option. “We have designated alternate airports across the route that an aircraft takes. The Russia route is the shortest way between India and North America. Taking this route in no way compromises safety (referring to fears being raised by western carriers that currently do not do so given the sanctions on Russia). Yes, landing in a small place like Magadan meant people could not get hotels which we regret but the primary concern was safety,” said multiple senior pilots.

Stranded in Russia: Air India sends ferry for 232 Passengers stranded in Magadan, Russia


“Flight AI173D (d stands for delayed) from Magadan is now airborne for SFO, carrying all passengers and crew. It departed 10.27 am on June 8 (local time) and is expected to arrive SFO at 12.15 am on June 8 (local time). Air India has mobilised additional on-ground support at SFO to carry out the clearance formalities for all passengers upon arrival. The team at SFO is prepared to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including but not limited to medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections in applicable cases,” AI said in a statement.

The ferry flight has taken engineers, crew and material to repair the engine of the aircraft stuck in Magadan and bring it back to Delhi.
Being a small far eastern Russian port town, Magdan does not have big hotels and all the 232 people had to stay at makeshift accommodations in wherever they could be arranged like dormitories and basketball courts with many people sleeping on floor. Social media was full of videos and pictures of passengers in these places.
“Given the infrastructural limitations around the remote airport, we can confirm that all passengers were eventually moved to a makeshift accommodation, after making sincere attempts to accommodate passengers in hotels locally with the help of local government authorities. As we do not have any Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to the passengers is the best possible in this unusual circumstance through our round the clock liaison with the Consulate General of India in Vladivostok, local ground handlers, and Russian authorities,” AI had said in a statement on Wednesday.
Unlike western carriers, AI overflies Russian airspace — though its Moscow flights were suspended last year — while operating between India, mainly Delhi, and North America.
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