ISTANBUL, June 6 (Reuters) - An Air India plane flying from Delhi to San Francisco was forced to divert and land at an airport in Russia's Far East after it developed a technical issue with one of its engines, the airline said on Tuesday. The 216 passengers and 16 crew onboard were being offered support on the ground and accommodated in local hotels for the night, Air India said. Air India said it could not share any passenger details. GE Aerospace said it was aware of the diversion and working with Air India to resolve the issue. However, Air India and some Gulf-based, Chinese and African carriers continue to fly over Russia, making flying times shorter and American rivals uncompetitive.

---

Persons: Rosaviatsia, Campbell Wilson, Biden, Aditi Shah, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, David Shepardson, Valerie Insinna, Alexnader Marrow, Gleb Stolyarov, Josephine Mason, Emelia Sithole, David Evans, Mark Potter Organizations: An, Boeing, United Airlines, Air, General Electric, Union, Norwegian Air Boeing, Washington, GE, U.S . Treasury, U.S . Department of Commerce, GE Aerospace, International Air Transport Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, An Air India, Delhi, San Francisco, Russia's Far, Russia, Air India, Magadan, Okhotsk, Iran, Shiraz, India, Washington, United States, Moscow, Ukraine, American, U.S