London to Beijing Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Russia; Passengers Remain on Board
An Air China flight from London to Beijing made an emergency landing in Nizhnevartovsk, Russia. Passengers are still on board the aircraft. This was reported to RIA Novosti by law enforcement authorities.
According to Rosaviatsiya, the crew of the Air China Boeing 777-300 decided to land at an alternative airport in Russia while on the London to Beijing route. The preliminary cause was identified as a malfunction of one of the engines. The crew issued an emergency signal and requested to land.
For further transportation, Air China has decided to send a backup aircraft to Nizhnevartovsk. It is expected to arrive at 14:00 Moscow time and depart for Beijing at 18:00. There were 265 people on board, including 15 crew members and 250 passengers.