Air India passengers stranded in Russia finally arrive in San Francisco

An Air India flight that was sent to the remote Russian city of Magadan to retrieve stranded passengers has successfully touched down in San Francisco, according to the airline's announcement on Thursday.

“We are providing all our passengers with full on-ground assistance, including clearance procedures and other essential support,” Air India stated on Twitter.

Earlier this week, Air India flight AI173, traveling from New Delhi to San Francisco, was diverted to Russia’s Magadan airport due to a technical fault with one of the engines. The flight carried 216 passengers and 16 crew members.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Air India confirmed that a 'ferry flight' had departed from Mumbai to bring the passengers to San Francisco, pending the required clearances.

There are no Air India employees stationed in the remote town of Magadan. Instead, the airline ensured passengers received support through constant coordination with the Indian Consulate in Vladivostok, about 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) south of Magadan, along with India’s Ministry of External Affairs, local ground handlers, and Russian authorities.

While Russia has prohibited many Western countries from using its airspace, some airlines, including Air India, continue to operate flights over Russian territory.

Earlier this week, the United States stated that it was closely following the situation. 'We are aware of a US-bound flight that made an emergency landing in Russia and are monitoring it closely,' said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel.

Although Patel could not confirm the exact number of US citizens aboard the flight, he acknowledged that it was 'certainly likely' that there were American citizens on board.

Patel also mentioned that the US could potentially take action 'to assess passenger manifests and individuals who may be traveling to the United States,' if necessary.

Patel declined to comment on whether the US would need to grant exemptions for replacement parts for the aircraft under sanctions imposed on Russia.

The flight diversion occurred amid ongoing discussions regarding the use of Russian airspace by various carriers.

Air India’s CEO defended the airline’s decision to use Russian airspace on Monday, explaining at an airline summit that 'we operate within the framework provided to us by the government of India.'

He further added, 'Not all nations share the same view, and this will lead to different outcomes. Over the past few years, we've seen the repercussions of aviation's inability to connect people, economies, and cultures, which affects many other areas.'

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby warned on Monday about the potential risks of a plane being forced to land in Russia with American citizens aboard, according to reports from Reuters.