Delhi-San Francisco Flight Diversion: Air India Promises Full Refunds & Future Travel Vouchers

New Delhi: Air India announced on Thursday that it would provide full refunds and future travel vouchers to passengers affected by the diversion of its Delhi-San Francisco flight on June 6 due to a mid-air glitch.

The airline’s Chief Customer Experience and Ground Handling Officer, Rajesh Dogra, communicated the decision to the passengers, who arrived at their destination after a delay of nearly 56 hours.

Air India flight AI 173, carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew members, was diverted to Magadan, Russia, after experiencing a technical issue in one of its Boeing 777-200LR aircraft engines.

On Wednesday, the airline dispatched a ferry flight from Mumbai to Magadan to transport the stranded passengers and crew to San Francisco.

In its communication, Air India expressed regret for the disruption and inconvenience caused by the extended delay. The airline apologized sincerely to the customers and explained that the pilots decided to land the aircraft at a nearby airport as a precautionary measure after receiving an indication of low oil pressure in one engine.

While acknowledging that the facilities in Magadan were not up to their usual standards, Air India thanked the passengers for their understanding and tolerance.

Initially, the airline stated that the passengers and crew were accommodated in local hotels. However, due to infrastructure constraints, makeshift accommodations had to be arranged.

Air India acknowledged that the duration of the delay was long and fell short of their service standards. Therefore, they committed to fully refunding the fare for the affected journey and providing a voucher for future travel on Air India.