Over 250 passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai found themselves stranded for nearly 40 hours at a remote military airport in Diyarbakır, Turkey, following an emergency landing on 2 April.
Flight VS358, which departed Heathrow at 11:40am BST, was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai at 8:10pm BST the same day. However, due to a medical emergency onboard, the aircraft was diverted to Diyarbakır Airport at around 5pm BST.
While the emergency was addressed, the situation worsened when the Airbus A350-1000 reportedly made a “hard landing” and required a technical inspection. The aircraft was subsequently deemed unfit to fly, leaving passengers stuck in a facility with limited infrastructure and support.
Virgin Atlantic acknowledged the situation in a statement: “The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”
Stranded passengers took to social media to express frustration, calling the conditions “inhumane” and “awful.” Many described having no blankets or pillows, inadequate food, and access to only one toilet for over 250 people. Families, elderly passengers, pregnant women, and small children were among those affected.
Mumbai-based politician Preeti Sharma Menon, who was on board, highlighted the lack of communication and essential resources: “It’s been 24 hours and not a single airline representative has met the passengers,” she stated.
Virgin Atlantic has since confirmed that the necessary repairs and approvals were completed and that the journey to Mumbai would resume on Friday, 4 April at around 12:00 local time in Turkey, with arrival in Mumbai expected by 20:30 local time.
In response to the situation, the airline said that “the majority of our customers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation ahead of their onward journey.”
Virgin Atlantic concluded, “We’d like to sincerely apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused.”
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