Air India replacement plane departs Russia after engine problem left passengers stranded

Aircraft was sent to take 216 passengers and 16 crew to San Francisco after emergency landing

An Air India Boeing 777. The airline's flight to San Francisco was diverted to eastern Russia owing to an engine problem. Reuters

A replacement aircraft for an Air India flight diverted to Russia because of an engine problem has left for San Francisco with all passengers and crew.

The original Boeing 777, which left New Delhi carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew, landed at Magadan airport in eastern Russia on Tuesday.

The plane “developed a technical issue with one of its engines”, Air India said. It made an emergency landing.

The replacement plane was expected to arrive in San Francisco on Thursday at 12.15am local time, the airline said.

In Washington, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said fewer than 50 American citizens were on the plane and the department was not aware of any of them contacting the US embassy in Russia or other diplomatic posts.

Passenger Girvaan Singh Kahma, 16, who was travelling with his uncle and brother, told Reuters they were barred from leaving a hostel in Magadan and were unable to use their credit cards because of sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

“The first day and a half was really hard for all of us,” he said.

"The weather went to 3°C to 4°C in the morning, and in the night it was bitterly cold.

“The Russian soldiers, the Russian police, the authorities and everyone working in the hostel has been treating us extremely well."