Air India to Operate Relief Flight for Passengers Diverted to Mongolia

Air India Takes Action for Passengers Affected by Flight Diversion

New Delhi, Nov 4: Air India announced on Tuesday that it will conduct a relief flight to assist passengers from its San Francisco to Delhi flight, which was redirected to Mongolia due to a suspected technical malfunction.

The flight, AI174, was traveling from San Francisco to Delhi with a stop in Kolkata on November 2 when it made a precautionary landing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, after the crew identified a potential technical issue during the journey.

According to the airline's latest statement, a relief flight, designated AI183, is set to depart from Delhi this afternoon to bring back the affected passengers on Wednesday morning.

Air India has been collaborating with local authorities and the Indian Embassy in Mongolia to ensure the well-being of the passengers and crew, including providing hotel accommodations.

"We have kept our guests updated about the arrangements for their return to Delhi. The safety and comfort of our passengers and crew are our utmost priority," stated an Air India representative.

Previously, the airline confirmed that the aircraft landed safely in Ulaanbaatar and is currently undergoing necessary inspections.

Additionally, Air India has received a temporary extension for flight duty time for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operating on European routes, which have been affected by the closure of Pakistani airspace, as reported by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week.

This extension was granted due to operational needs, as flights on European routes now require longer paths following the airspace shutdown in Pakistan. For two-pilot operations on the Boeing 787, the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) has been increased to 10 hours and 30 minutes from the previous 10 hours, while the Flight Duty Period (FDP) has been extended to 14 hours from 13 hours.