Air India Flight to San Francisco Makes Precautionary Landing in Siberia, Russia; Relief Flight Cleared

An Air India flight en route to San Francisco made a precautionary landing in Siberia, Russia, on Friday due to a potential issue in the cargo hold. The flight, carrying 225 passengers and 19 crew members, safely landed at Krasnoyarsk International Airport, as confirmed by an Air India statement. The Tata Group-owned airline reported that the unplanned landing occurred around midnight local time.

Passengers Stranded at the Terminal

Due to the lack of Russian visas, passengers were required to remain in the terminal building. Initially, food and beverage services were closed for the evening, but they were reopened to provide meals to the passengers.

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Coordinated Efforts by Indian Officials

Indian consulate officials in Moscow promptly arrived at the airport to coordinate with Russian authorities, aiming to transfer passengers to hotels. A relief flight from Mumbai received regulatory clearances and was scheduled to depart at 1100 hrs IST to transport passengers from Krasnoyarsk later that day.

Previous Incidents and Route Usage

This incident marks the second time in just over a year that an Air India flight on this route has made an unscheduled landing in Russia. Despite US and EU airlines avoiding Russian airspace, Air India continues to use this route due to its time and cost advantages for US-bound flights.

Reason for the Landing

The airport reported that the landing was prompted by an activated smoke detector. Russia's civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, stated there were no signs of fire or smoke on the aircraft.

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Support from Indian Embassy in Russia

The Indian Embassy in Russia stated, “An Embassy team of three senior officials and an interpreter is on the ground in Krasnoyarsk to assist the passengers of the Air India flight to San Francisco which made an emergency landing at Krasnoyarsk last night." The team is coordinating with airport and security authorities and representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry to provide all possible assistance to the passengers. The team will remain in Krasnoyarsk until Air India’s replacement plane arrives and takes the passengers on their onward journey.

News Source:- cnbctv18.com