08 June 2023 , 21:37
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An Air India flight with 216 passengers aboard had to make an emergency landing in a remote part of Siberia, leaving the group with little food, water, or information for two days.
A video on Twitter shows the group bundled up and sleeping on cots with thin blankets in what they were told was an old school building.
Customers say they were barely given any food, and that the 16-person flight crew abandoned them, leaving them scrambling to figure out what was happening.
Many of the customers tried to call Air India's customer service or had their relatives try and reach the airline, but they say that they weren't given any answers.
An Air India flight had to make an emergency landing in Russia, where customers faced harsh conditions (AP)
Customers on a grounded flight in Siberia show the cots and thin blankets they were given (Twitter/shukla_tarun)Since then, Air India has agreed to fully refund all of the passengers.
World's coldest city left without heating in -44C freeze as Putin funds war
They also sent all of the passengers an apology letter, which stated, "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.
"Although we cannot change the past, I trust that this gesture conveys our sincere regrets for the disruption and inconvenience."
According to NBC, the plane was diverted when flying over Russian airspace due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, who is consistently sending missiles through the airspace.
While some officials worried that the tense situation between the U.S. and Russia would be a problem, Air India reported that Russian airports and officials fully cooperated with the company to get the stranded passengers to their intended destination.
Many U.S., European, and Japanese airlines have stopped flying over Russia, but others, like Air India, are continuing to use the airspace, for now.
One customer, Girvaan Singh Kahma, 16, told the media that he was travelling with his uncle when the flight was grounded. He said the group was barred from leaving the makeshift hostel where they were staying, and could not use their credit cards to buy things due to the sanctions on Russia.
“The first day and a half was really hard for all of us,” he said. “The weather went to 3 to 4 degrees [Celsius, or 37 to 39 Fahrenheit] in the morning, and in the night it was bitter cold,” he said, according to the AP, adding that circumstances were getting better with food and a place to sleep," said Kahma. He added that all the officials servicing the hostel were kind and helpful, and all passengers were treated well during their time.
A new aircraft was sent to pick up the group on Thursday morning, and they have since safely made it to San Fransisco.