Air India flight from India to San Francisco was diverted owing to a mechanical issue with one of the plane’s engines and safely landed in Russia’s Magadan airport.

AI173 was carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew members.

On Wednesday, the airline will run an alternate route from Magadan to San Francisco.

In a statement, an Air India spokesperson stated, “Air India will operate an alternate aircraft from Magadan to San Francisco on June 7, 2023, carrying all passengers and crew of AI173 who are presently accommodated in local hotels in Magadan”.

“The authorities are extending all cooperation in our effort to ensure that passengers safely reach their destination at the earliest”, the statement further reads.

Russia has prohibited many Western countries from flying across its territory, while certain airlines, such as Air India, continue to do so.

The Russian aviation body Rosaviation announced on Tuesday that it had granted Air India permission to fly a reserve aircraft to Russia’s Magadan airport.

The US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Pate said, “We are aware of a US-bound flight that had to make an emergency landing in Russia and are continuing to monitor that situation closely”.

“I’m not able to confirm how many US citizens were aboard the flight at this time”, he added.

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