Air India Air India's reserve plane collects passengers stranded in Russia's Magadan
Magadan/UNI: An Air India reserve aircraft that had been sent to Russia's Magadan to collect passengers stranded in the city after an emergency landing left for San Francisco with passengers early on Thursday, Magadan International Airport Director General Dmitry Sivolobov told Sputnik.
An Air India plane traveling from Delhi to San Francisco made a successful emergency landing near the Russian Far Eastern city of Magadan due to a malfunction of one of the engines on Tuesday.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsiya said there were 232 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the plane.
The local authorities said all passengers were foreign nationals, including over 40 US citizens and several citizens of Canada. Specialists examined the plane and concluded it could not be restored by their efforts. The passengers were taken to temporary accommodation centers and provided with meals and warm blankets.
"The reserve aircraft arrived early in the morning. At the airport, they immediately began screening and customs clearance of passengers. They all left for San Francisco after 10:00 a.m. [local time, 23:00 GMT on Wednesday]," Sivolobov said.
He said Air India's specialists arrived in Magadan aboard the reserve plane to restore the malfunctioned aircraft, adding that they have all the necessary documents and visas "so they can work in peace."
