When passengers boarded Air France flight AF116 in Paris on Saturday night, they expected to land in Shanghai by Sunday evening after an 11-hour journey. Instead, more than 200 passengers found themselves stuck for three days in a remote Siberian town, where nighttime temperatures dropped to nearly -20 degrees Celsius.
The Boeing 777-300ER plane was diverted to Irkutsk on Sunday due to a “technical problem,” Air France explained in a statement. The plane had reported smoke in the cabin but landed safely, and none of the 280 people on board were injured.
Realizing that repairs couldn’t be completed quickly, the airline dispatched a second B777 from Paris to Irkutsk to retrieve the stranded passengers. However, this second plane also experienced technical issues upon arrival. Consequently, Air France had to send a third B777 to Siberia.
The first two aircraft had been in service for over 14 years, and the third one joined the fleet nearly ten years ago. The B777s, which can seat up to 318 passengers, are widely used by airlines around the world. Finally, the third plane successfully transported the passengers to Shanghai on Wednesday afternoon.
Air France apologized for the “exceptional situation” and emphasized that passenger safety is their top priority. The airline also mentioned that their team in Russia collaborated with local authorities to take care of the affected passengers and that they would be contacted regarding “suitable” compensation.