Air India Sends Relief Aircraft to San Francisco for Stranded Passengers

An Air India relief flight for passengers of its Delhi-San Francisco route, stranded at Russia's Krasnoyarsk Airport, has now departed for the US city, the airline confirmed. The flight AI 1179 left Krasnoyarsk KJA at 0002 hours local time on 20 July, heading to San Francisco SFO with all passengers and crew from AI183, which had been diverted to Krasnoyarsk.

The original Delhi-San Francisco flight was diverted due to a potential issue detected in the cargo hold area of the Boeing 777 aircraft. This flight carried 225 passengers and 19 crew members. The relief flight, which included an Air India team with crew and security personnel, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 12.52 pm for Krasnoyarsk.

Coordination and Assistance

The Embassy of India in Moscow expressed gratitude to various Russian authorities for their assistance during the emergency. "The Embassy of India, Moscow thanks the Foreign Ministry of Russia and its Representative Office in Krasnoyarsk, Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport, the Krasnoyarsk Krai Government, airport authorities and security officials, for the assistance to the passengers and to Embassy's team in the coordination work throughout the emergency situation," stated a post on X.

Earlier on Friday morning, the Embassy had reported that a team of three senior officials and interpreters were on-site in Krasnoyarsk to assist passengers. They coordinated with airport and security authorities and representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry to provide necessary support. The team remained in Krasnoyarsk until Air India's replacement plane arrived to continue the passengers' journey.

On-Ground Support

Air India has mobilised additional support at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to handle clearance formalities upon arrival. The team at SFO is prepared to offer all necessary assistance to passengers, including medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections where applicable.

The relief flight also carried essential supplies along with sufficient food for all passengers. This ensured that everyone on board had what they needed during the journey from Russia to the United States.

The Indian Embassy in Moscow played a crucial role in coordinating efforts on the ground in Krasnoyarsk. Their involvement ensured that passengers received timely assistance and that communication between various authorities was maintained smoothly.

The swift response by Air India and coordinated efforts by multiple agencies ensured that passengers were safely transported from Russia to their intended destination in San Francisco.