Air India carrying stranded passengers from Russia lands in US

The Air India relief flight carrying stranded passengers from the small Russian town of Magadan landed in its original destination San Francisco two days after a technical problem grounded the initial flight.

“Flight AI173D from Magadan (GDX) landed safely in San Francisco (SFO) at 0007 Hours on 08 June 2023,” the airline said in a statement.

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The previously stranded passengers and crew have reportedly been granted on ground assistance and clearance formalities, including medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections.

Over 220 passengers and crew were stuck in a Russian town for nearly two days from June 6 since the Delhi-origin, US-bound jet made an emergency landing owing to engine trouble.

Videos shared by a journalist on social media showed the passengers accommodated in a school with “bare minimum facilities.”

Following the wide circulation of the video, the Indian carrier, owned by Tata Sons, released a statement explaining the emergency landing and claiming “infrastructure limitations around the remote airport” for the use of mattresses on the floor of a school as makeshift accommodation.

In its latest statement, Air India thanked “government agencies, regulatory authorities, our staff and partners involved in supporting our endeavour to bring our passengers to SFO as soon as possible and in providing them care while they waited in Magadan, Russia.”

UPDATE: AI173D TOUCHES DOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Flight AI173D from Magadan (GDX) landed safely in San Francisco (SFO) at 0007 Hours on 08 June 2023 (local time).
All our passengers are being extended maximum on-ground assistance with clearance formalities and provided other…

— Air India (@airindia) June 8, 2023

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