Mission Magadan: Air India Ferry Flight Takes Off From Mumbai To Fly Stranded Passengers To San Francisco

Air India ferry flight AI 195 has taken off from Mumbai for Magadan in Russia to fly AI 173 passengers to San Francisco.

The Air India flight from Delhi to San Francisco developed a technical glitch and had to make an emergency landing in the far Arctic east of Russia on Tuesday (6 June).

The flight carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew members also included an unknown number of American nationals.

Flight AI 173 had to make an emergency landing at Sokol Airport in the port town of Magadan, Russia, on 6 June after one of the engines developed a technical snag.

According to Air India, the ferry flight has received necessary regulatory clearances to take passengers and crew of AI 173 onward to San Francisco.

The ferry flight would be carrying food and other essentials for the passengers.

We engaged with the local authorities at Sokol Airport that extended all cooperation and support upon the flight’s arrival at the airport, Air India said.

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 government authorities, it said.

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, Ministry of External Affairs (Government of India), local ground handlers, and the Russian authorities, the statement added.