Air India sends rescue aircraft after passengers stranded in Mongolia following mid-air glitch

With several passengers stranded in Mongolia since Monday after a technical glitch on board an Air India flight from San Francisco to Delhi via Kolkata, the airline on Tuesday dispatched a relief aircraft to bring them back to India. The passengers are expected to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday morning.

The Boeing 777 aircraft, operating as flight AI174 on November 2, was diverted to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, after the flight crew reported a suspected technical issue mid-air. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew members were reported safe.

The flight had departed from San Francisco at 2.47 pm IST on Monday and was scheduled to land at 9.59 pm on Tuesday. Following the diversion, passengers remained at the Mongolian capital’s airport before being moved to hotels after completing immigration procedures.

“AI174 of 02 November, operating from San Francisco to Delhi via Kolkata, made a precautionary landing at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, after the flight crew suspected a technical issue en route. The aircraft landed safely at Ulaanbaatar and is undergoing the necessary checks,” an Air India spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that with assistance from local authorities and the Indian Embassy in Mongolia, passengers were provided meals, accommodation, and regular updates on travel arrangements.

“Air India will be operating a relief flight to ferry the passengers of flight AI174 (San Francisco–Delhi of 02 November), which was diverted to Ulaanbaatar. The ferry flight AI183 departed from Delhi today (Tuesday) and will return with the affected passengers on Wednesday morning,” the airline said.

It said that Air India, in coordination with Mongolian authorities and the Indian Embassy, had been ensuring the comfort and safety of all passengers and crew. “At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our top priority,” the spokesperson said.

As per sources, the flight AI183, a Boeing 787-8, departed from the Indira Gandhi International airport at around 4 pm on Tuesday.