Air India apologises to passengers stranded in Russia, offers refund
New Delhi: Air India has issued an apology to the passengers of its flight that was redirected to Magadan in Russia due to a mechanical glitch in one of its engines. Several passengers had complained that they were left to deal with subpar food, stray arrangements, and language problem while not a single Air India crew member was on site to assure or help them.
The airline has also agreed to reimburse the fares of all passengers on board and has provided them with travel vouchers as compensation.
The 216 passengers, including elderly and children, were transferred to various locations after the Air India flight, a Boeing 777, travelling from Delhi to San Francisco, suffered a technical glitch and was forced to make an emergency landing at Magadan, a remote town in east Russia.
An Air India reserve aircraft left for San Francisco with passengers early on Thursday, Magadan International Airport Director General Dmitry Sivolobov told Sputnik. It touched down at San Francisco International Airport with the passengers.
The Russian 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, they said.
"Please allow me to sincerely apologise, on behalf of Air India, for the extended delay in bringing you to San Francisco," said Rajesh Dogra, Air India's chief customer experience and ground handling officer, in a statement.
"Your safety was the highest priority throughout. As such, we will fully refund the fare of your journey and, in addition, provide you with a voucher for future travel in Air India. Although we cannot change the past, I trust this gesture conveys our sincere regrets for the disruption and inconvenience."
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