Air India plane bound for US makes emergency landing in Russia

Krasnoyarsk airport says plane carrying 244 passengers and crew was forced to land due to an activated smoke detector.

An Air India passenger plane flying from New Delhi to San Francisco has made an emergency landing in Russia after the crew detected a potential issue in the cargo hold area, according to the airline, in its second such incident on the route in just over a year.

Many carriers, including United States and European Union airlines, avoid Russian airspace because of the war in Ukraine, but Air India uses that route, giving it a flying time and cost advantage over US-bound flights.

The incident also puts an added spotlight on the embattled aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, whose aircraft was used in the flight. A number of Boeing planes have been involved in air incidents in recent months.

The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying 225 passengers and 19 flight crew, made the precautionary move landing safely in the Russian region of Siberia at the Krasnoyarsk International Airport, the airline said in a statement on X on Friday.

“Representatives from the Indian consulate in Moscow have travelled overnight and are working with Russian authorities to allow passengers to move to hotels, which have been on standby throughout the night.”

A separate statement from the Indian embassy in Moscow said that three senior officials and an interpreter are on ground in Krasnoyarsk “to assist the passengers”.

“The team will stay on ground in Krasnoyarsk till Air India’s replacement plane arrives and takes the passengers on their onward journey.”

The airport said the flight’s crew had been moved to hotels, and passengers were in the international departure area, which angered some of those stranded, according to social media posts.

Mayank Gupta, whose mother was on the flight, wrote on social media that he was “sad and angry” that her medicines and luggage remained on the aeroplane.

A passenger said on X that people were struggling to get food and water, posting a photo showing some passengers sleeping on the floor inside the airport area.

Air India said it does not have its own staff at the airport and sought help from a third party “to provide all necessary assistance to passengers”, adding that the “safety and wellbeing” of the passengers and crew remain a “top priority”.

In a separate statement, the airport said the plane landed due to an activated smoke detector.

Regulatory clearances have been obtained for a relief flight that will depart from Mumbai on Friday, the Indian airline said.

Shortly after the incident, Russia’s civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, said the aircraft had taxied to a parking spot after landing and there had been no signs of a fire or smoke on board.

Boeing deferred to Air India for comment on the incident.

Russia banned many foreign carriers from its airspace in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, and many countries and airlines also banned their planes from crossing over all or part of Russia.

The bans have redrawn air routes and upset business models for some airlines. United Airlines cancelled many of its nonstop US-India flights due to the issue.

In June 2023, an Air India Boeing plane on the same route was stranded for a day after reporting a technical issue. Passengers on that flight, including US citizens, were housed in makeshift accommodation at Russia’s remote Magadan airport, before another aircraft took them to their destination.