The scheduled schedule of the Air China flight was to depart from London (UK) and land in Shanghai (China), however, due to engine-related problems while passing through Russian airspace, the plane had to make an unplanned landing in the city of Nizhnevartovsk.
According to the Russian Federal Aviation Administration (Rosaviatsiya), the Air China plane landed at Nizhnevartovsk airport, in Russia's Khanty-Mansi region, at 2:00 p.m. (local time).
Rosaviatsiya said that immediately after receiving the emergency signal of the Boeing 777-300, air traffic controllers from the State ATM Corporation immediately responded and quickly provided the crew with information about the nearest alternative airports capable of receiving the aircraft.
Accordingly, experts from the Northern Siberia branch of State ATM Coporation provided guidance assistance on the shortest possible route to Nizhnevartovsk, and informed the crew of the current meteorological situation at the selected airport and the parameters of the runway.
"Thanks to professionalism and smooth coordination, the Boeing 777-300 successfully landed at Nizhnevartovsk airport 60 minutes after sending a PAN emergency signal," Rosaviatsiya said.
A witness said that airport services were put in a high alert state to receive flights. At that time, a staircase was taken to the plane immediately after it landed safely.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry or any representative of Air China has yet to comment on the incident.
