An Air India flight from San Francisco made an unexpected landing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Monday.
The Air India flight, en route from San Francisco to Delhi via Kolkata, made a precautionary landing at Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia after the crew suspected a technical issue mid-flight, Air India said in a post on X.
The aircraft landed safely at the Ulaanbaatar airport. All the passengers are reportedly safe.
"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," Air India said in the X post.
The aircraft touched down safely, and all passengers and crew are reportedly unharmed. The airline says the plane is now undergoing necessary checks to determine the cause of the diversion.
In its official statement, Air India emphasised that passenger and crew safety remains its foremost concern. It added that it is working with its partners and local authorities to support the travellers, arranging onward travel as soon as possible and regretting the disruption caused by the unforeseen situation.
Passengers were served meals on board, cleared immigration at the airport, and hotel arrangements were made for their stay in Ulaanbaatar. Meanwhile, the airline is finalising alternative flights to get them to Delhi without undue delay.
"With the help of our partners and local authorities, Air India has extended immediate assistance to the passengers. They were served meals on board and have been disembarked. Hotel arrangements have been made for their stay after clearing immigration procedures at the airport, while Air India makes alternative arrangements to fly them to their destination, Delhi, at the earliest. Air India sincerely regrets the inconvenience to passengers arising from this unforeseen diversion, which was undertaken in the interest of safety," it further said.
Aviation analysts note that while no one was harmed, such mid-air diversions highlight the challenge of maintaining uninterrupted long-haul operations and underline the importance of rigorous oversight of aircraft systems and crew procedures.
Air India says it will keep affected passengers informed of developments and aims to resume their journey at the earliest opportunity.