Air India flight to San Francisco makes emergency landing in Russia

Moscow/New Delhi: An Air India Delhi-San Francisco flight made an emergency landing in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Central Russia, on Thursday, due to a potential fire on board, a report said.

The Boeing 777, Flight AI183, had 244 people on aboard, including 225 passengers and 19 crew members.

The plane en route from New Delhi to San Francisco had to change course because of a potential fire on board, RT reported.

Around 18:30 (Moscow time), the crew reported to flight control that a fire alarm had been triggered in the cargo hold and requested an emergency landing. At the time, the plane was flying over Siberia at an altitude of some 11,000 meters. The plane was diverted and landed safely in Krasnoyarsk.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) subsequently reported that no fire or smoke was discovered on board.

Russian specialists also found no serious damage after a preliminary inspection of the plane. A detailed report could be ready by Friday, a source with the Russian Emergencies Ministry told RIA Novosti.

All the passengers were successfully evacuated from the aircraft and accommodated at Krasnoyarsk airport, according to Russian authorities.

No passengers required medical aid, emergency services said.

Authorities also said the crew was provided with all necessary assistance.

“Air India is also in liaison with government agencies and regulatory authorities, and we are making arrangements for a ferry flight to [Krasnoyarsk] to take passengers onwards to San Francisco at the earliest,” the company said on X.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed it was “in contact” with Air India and all the relevant authorities and was “aware” of the situation.

It is not the first time an Indian flight en route to San Francisco has made an emergency landing in Russia. In June 2023, another Boeing 777 landed in the Far Eastern city of Magadan because of one of its engines was malfunctioning. The passengers then continued their journey on another Air India flight after spending almost 40 hours on the ground, RT said.