Air India flight to San Francisco: Airline to refund ticket fare to all 216 passengers

Tata-owned Air India on Thursday said that the airline will fully refund ticket fare to 216 passengers of a Delhi-San Francisco flight that made an unscheduled two-day stop at Magadan in Russia after the aeroplane developed a technical issue.

"We will fully refund the fare for the journey and, in addition, provide a voucher for future travel to the passengers on Air India," senior airline executive Rajesh Dogra said, while apologising to the passangers in a letter.

On Tuesday, Air India flight AI173, from Delhi to San Francisco, was forced to divert and make an emergency landing at Magadan airport due to a technical issue with one of its engines.

Alternate flight AI173D was sent to Magadan airport from Mumbai by the airline on June 7.

Earlier on Thursday, the Air India in a statement said that flight AI173D landed safely in San Francisco (SFO) at 00:07 hours (local time).

"All our passengers are being extended maximum on-ground assistance with clearance formalities and provided other necessary support," it said.

"Air India thanks government agencies, regulatory authorities, our staff and partners involved in supporting our endeavour to bring our passengers to SFO as soon as possible and in providing them care while they waited in Magadan, Russia," it added.