Jan 12th 2026 : An Air France Boeing 777-200 operating a long-haul service from India to France was forced to divert to Ashgabat after suffering an engine malfunction while cruising over Central Asia.
The aircraft, registered F-GSPI, was operating flight AF-191 from Bangalore (India) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France). While en route at FL360, approximately 90 nautical miles southeast of Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), one of the aircraft’s GE90 engines developed a fault. In response, the flight crew shut the affected engine down in accordance with procedures.
Following the shutdown, the aircraft drifted down to FL210 and diverted to Ashgabat, where it landed safely on runway 11L around 50 minutes after leaving cruise altitude. No injuries were reported.
Passengers reported that the flight had already experienced a delay of about 10 hours in Bangalore prior to departure. After the diversion and landing in Ashgabat, passengers were initially informed that the flight could continue either on 13 January late in the evening or on 14 January 2026 at around 13:00 local time, depending on the arrival of a replacement aircraft.
Following the landing, passengers remained on board the aircraft for several hours before being permitted to disembark. They were subsequently transported to hotels while awaiting onward travel arrangements.
Air France dispatched a replacement Boeing 777-200, registered F-GSPQ, from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Ashgabat on 13 January. The replacement aircraft is expected to continue the disrupted service to Paris on 14 January 2026.
The occurrence aircraft F-GSPI remained grounded in Ashgabat around 14 hours after landing, pending technical inspection and maintenance to address the engine issue.
The diversion underscores standard long-haul safety procedures, where flight crews promptly secure a malfunctioning engine and divert to the most suitable airport to ensure passenger and crew safety.
