While for safety reasons airlines often have to divert to places that may not have the required accommodation infra for plane-load of passengers and crew — something which happened in the far east Russian port city, — AI has apologised to the flyers of AI 173.
Reiterating that the diversion was due to an engine snag, AI’s chief customer experience officer Rajesh Dogra’s letter to the affected passengers says: “While the facilities in Magadan, a small city, may not have met the standard we would normally aim to provide, we are grateful for your tolerance and understanding that our local agents and crew did their best under the circumstances.”
Dogra said even though Air India tried to send an alternate aircraft at the “earliest possible given the need to obtain insurance and flight plan approvals, but clearly, the duration of delay was long and the experience was not what we aspire for.”
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Air India ferry flight heads to San Francisco from Russia’s Magadan with 232 passengers and crew
Saying that Air India will give a full refund and voucher for future travel, the Tata Group airline told its passengers: “Although we cannot change the past, I trust that this gesture conveys our sincere regret for the inconvenience.”
While flight delays and diversions happen across airlines globally, Tata Group’s gesture for the affected passengers of Air India’s delayed flight is definitely a rare one.
Air India 173 had taken off from Delhi on June 6 at 4.05 am and had made a precautionary landing in Magadan at 2.10 pm. Then after a nearly 39-hour-wait, the alternate aircraft took those stranded there to SFO at 5 am (IST) on June 8. The aircraft arrived in SFO at 12.37 pm. (All timings IST). The ferry flight has taken engineers, crew and material to repair the engine of the aircraft stuck in Magadan and bring it back to Delhi.
Being a small far eastern Russian port town, Magdan does not have big hotels and all the 232 people had to stay at makeshift accommodations in wherever they could be arranged like dormitories and basketball courts with many people sleeping on floor. Social media was full of videos and pictures of passengers in these places.
Unlike western carriers, Air India overflies Russian airspace — though its Moscow flights were suspended last year — while operating between India, mainly Delhi, and North America.
Watch Air India ferry flight heads to San Francisco from Russia’s Magadan with 232 passengers and crew
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