What happened? The plane with American passengers makes an emergency landing in Russia

An Air India plane flying from Delhi to San Francisco was forced to divert and land at an airport in the Russian Far East due to a technical problem with one of its engines, the airline said.

The flight's 216 passengers were provided ground support and will be offered alternative options to reach their destinations as soon as possible, Air India said, adding that the plane was also carrying 16 crew members.

Russia's air transport service said it was checking the plane's technical condition after landing at Magadan airport and was ready to give the airline permission to land a spare plane if necessary.

"Currently the issue of the stay and accommodation of the passengers is being resolved by the border, customs and regional authorities," said Rosaviatsia. The airport in Magadan, a port city on the Sea of ??Okhotsk in the Russian Far East, did not respond to a request for comment.

The diversion of the Boeing 777 comes a day after the head of the world's largest airline raised concerns about the safety of airlines flying through Russian airspace with US citizens on board.

“What if an airline lands in Russia with prominent American citizens on board? It's a potential crisis in the making,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Monday. "I think we need to solve this before the crisis happens."

Air India said it could not provide any details about the passengers.

Russia has banned US airlines and other foreign carriers from using its airspace in retaliation for Washington's ban on Russian flights over the US in March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

However, Air India and some Chinese or African airlines based in the Persian Gulf still fly over Russia, cutting flight times and making their American rivals uncompetitive.

The White House and GE, which makes engines for the Boeing 777, have not commented.