A Manchester-bound Hainan Airlines flight carrying over 230 passengers was forced into an emergency landing in Russia after a mid-air mechanical fault. The Airbus A330-300, flight HU753, was four hours into its journey from Beijing when sensors flagged the issue early on Saturday morning.
Emergency landing in Siberia
The captain issued an emergency prompt and circled several times over the Siberian city of Divnogorsk before making a tense approach into Krasnoyarsk. Russian emergency services were on full alert as the seven-year-old jet landed safely without further incident.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry stated: "No deaths or injuries were reported. The aircraft and ground infrastructure sustained no damage." The airline confirmed the mechanical fault but did not specify its exact nature.
Passenger support and onward travel
Passengers included British and Chinese nationals, according to local reports, though no official breakdown has been released. Fifty-one personnel and 15 vehicles were dispatched to the scene, including 39 personnel and 11 vehicles from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Flight HU753 landed at Krasnoyarsk at 6:28am local time (12.28am British Summer Time). English- and Chinese-speaking airport employees began assisting passengers immediately, and agents from the passenger transportation service, including linguists, are on site. A backup aircraft will be dispatched to continue the flight.
Political context and travel advice
The diversion comes amid the war with Ukraine and strained relations between Britain and Russia. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, citing security incidents, the risk of detention, and limited consular support. British passengers aboard were not voluntary travellers.
Unlike British and EU airlines, which are barred from Russian airspace, Chinese carriers continue using the trans-Siberian route. Krasnoyarsk, a city of about 1.2 million people, lies some 2,100 miles east of Moscow. Hainan Airlines said it plans to replace the aircraft and apologised for any inconvenience.
