Mumbai-Bound Virgin Atlantic Flight Stuck at Turkish Military Airport With Over 250 Flyers

More than 250 passengers, including an Indian, were stuck for over 30 hours at the military airport in Turkey's Diyarbakir after a Mumbai-bound Virgin Atlantic flight from London was diverted to Diyarbakır Airport due to an urgent medical reason. According to the information, flight VS358 took off from Heathrow International Airport on April 2 at around 11.40 am (London local time) and was scheduled to land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on April 3 at around 1:40 am.

However, due to an urgent medical emergency, the flight made an emergency landing at Diyarbakir airport around 7 p.m. (Turkish local time). In its latest update, the airline company informed that it has received the necessary technical approvals and will resume its onward journey to Mumbai from Diyarbakır Airport at 12:00 local time today.

A Virgin Atlantic flight spokesperson said that if technical approval is not received, the airline will transfer passengers to another airport in Turkey to take an alternative aircraft tomorrow. "If approvals are not received, we plan instead to provide a bus transfer for customers to an alternative aircraft at another Turkish airport tomorrow to complete our customers' journey to Mumbai," said the spokesperson.

"In the meantime, passengers are being provided with overnight hotel accommodation and refreshments in Turkey, while we work towards a resolution, and we will keep all customers informed as soon as new updates become available," added the spokesperson.

Earlier, the airline described the landing as a "hard landing" and stated that the aircraft was unfit to fly due to some technical glitch. Passengers were disembarked, but while the crew was transported to a hotel, passengers remained confined to a restricted area within the small regional airport, which lacks adequate facilities.

"We are actively exploring all options, including the operation of an alternative aircraft, to ensure customers can reach Mumbai as soon as possible," Virgin Atlantic said in a statement Thursday.

Also Read | Mumbai-London Atlantic Flight Makes Emergency Landing, More Than 200 Indian Flyers Stuck in Turkey With No Aid.

Passengers took to social media to describe the situation after landing at the Turkish airport. X users claimed the airlines did not provide basic facilities, including food and limited toilet facilities. The passengers were also struggling to find charging points.

"It’s been 24 hours and not a single airline representative has met the passengers. They have barely any food, one toilet amongst 275 pax, phones running out of batteries as they don’t have Turkish adapters. There are babies, pregnant women, diabetics and old people in this ordeal," wrote AAP leader Preeti Sharma-Menon on X, requesting government intervention.

An X user named Hanuman Dass described the situation and said that the passengers were inhumanely treated by the airline staff. "My family, along with 250+ passengers, have been inhumanely treated by @virginatlantic." he wrote on X while sharing visuals from the airport in Turkey.

My family along with 250+ passengers have been inhumanely treated by @virginatlantic .

Why is this chaos not being covered in the @BBCWorld or global media?? Over 30 hours confined at a military airport in Turkey.
In contact with the @ukinturkiye to please more pressure needed pic.twitter.com/TIIHgE07bb

— Hanuman Dass (@HanumanDassGD) April 3, 2025

 

"Why is this chaos not being covered in the @BBCWorld or global media?? Over 30 hours confined at a military airport in Turkey. In contact with the @ukinturkiye to please more pressure needed," Dass added.

Received a distress call from a passenger on @VirginAtlantic flight VS358 from #London to #Mumbai , now stranded in #DiyarbakirAirport in #Turkey - apparently a military facility - emergency landing .
It’s been 20hours without any concrete communication from airline or food or… pic.twitter.com/RE4h2JiHYe

— loveena tandon (@loveenatandon) April 3, 2025

Another X user stated, "Received a distress call from a passenger on @VirginAtlantic flight VS358 from #London to #Mumbai , now stranded in #DiyarbakirAirport in #Turkey - apparently a military facility - emergency landing .It’s been 20 hours without any concrete communication from airline or food or shelter. “Children running out of diapers and diabetic patients have no food and more such situations,” I am told by Satish one of the passengers."

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