Aviation
How passengers of Air India AI173 were hosted in Russia.
The passengers who are currently stranded in Russia were transported to the US on Wednesday by a replacement flight that Air India, a company owned by the Tata Group, deployed from Mumbai to Magadan.
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According to the airline’s statement on Wednesday, “a ferry flight is scheduled to operate to GDX (Magadan) from Mumbai, at 1300 hours IST on June 7, subject to necessary regulatory clearances, taking passengers and crew of AI173 onward to San Francisco.”
Magadan is a small town with a population of 95 000. Finding hotels for 200 travelers is very difficult, therefore with the assistance of the Russian government, the passengers were housed in a local school or training facility.
The majority of the passengers seen on camera are resting on their beds, however, some are seen walking around and eating in the accommodations center. As no American citizen should be taken captive after arrival, the USA also keeps a close eye on what is happening.
Air India has despatched a ferry flight from Mumbai to GDX, and it is expected to arrive today, June 7, barring any delays caused by regulatory approval. The ferry flight would transport our passengers’ food and other necessities. According to the Air India statement, it has agreements in place with the local authorities at GDX that extend every assistance and cooperation upon the arrival of the flight.
One of the few Asian airplanes that regularly fly close to Russian airspace is Air India. India has a bilateral relationship with Russia that enables Air India to provide safe accommodations in that country.
