“Given the infrastructural limitations around the remote airport, we can confirm that all passengers were eventually moved to makeshift accommodation,” said a spokesperson for the airline.
Air India said that the ferry flight 173D would be carrying food and other essentials for the stranded crew and travellers.
Passengers reported being unable to use credit cards even to pay for basics due to financial sanctions against Russia.
The airline said it was “concerned” for the passengers and staff and was receiving consular assistance from the Indian Consulate General in Vladivostok. Although this was still 5000km away in Russia’s extreme north.
While direct air links between the US and Russian Federation are suspended, Air India is still able to operate flights over Russian airspace.
Earlier this week other airlines called for such routes to be suspended.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called the situation of allowing overflights to continue a “crisis in the making.”
“What’s going to happen if an airline lands in Russia with some prominent US citizens on board?” he asked at the IATA annual conference on Monday.
United’s own Delhi to San Francisco service was abandoned after sanctions against US carriers meant it could no longer fly over Russia.
The American State Department told AP news there were around 50 US nationals on the plane.
Those arriving and greeting family members in San Francisco on Thursday morning said it was a great relief.
“Definitely we were traumatised,” passenger Alina Shah told CBS of the experience. “It is Russia so we were a little worried, the thing is now we are here and we arrived safely, we’re thankful for that.”
One family member who was meeting her aunt from the flight said that she was forced to sleep on the floor on a camp mattress.
“She hasn’t eaten properly in two days.”
Girvaan Singh Kahma, 16, was travelling on the flight with his uncle and brother. He said they were stopped from leaving the hostel where they were housed in Magadan and were unable to pay for anything.
“The first day and a half was really hard for all of us,” he told news agency AP, but said that things improved once they had been provided food and somewhere to sleep.
“The Russian soldiers, the Russian police, the authorities, everyone working in the hostel has been treating us extremely well,” he said.
Air India announced it would be refunding passengers in full with credit for future travel
“The team at SFO is prepared to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including but not limited to medical care, ground transportation, and onward connections in applicable cases,” said the airline.
Aircraft VT-ALH a Boeing 777-237 remains in Magadan where Air India does not have a crew base or engineers.
Due to sanctions due to the war in Ukraine it is difficult to bring in US made plane parts for repairs.
The airline was contacted as to how this plane will be repatriated to India.
- With additional AP reporting
