Mumbai: Over 250 Virgin Atlantic passengers, comprising many Indians, have been stranded at Turkey’s Diyarbakir Airport for more than 24 hours. The Mumbai-bound flight from London was diverted due to a medical emergency. On Thursday, the airline stated that it was exploring all possible solutions, including arranging an alternative aircraft to transport the passengers to Mumbai.
The Virgin Atlantic, in an official statement, explained that flight VS358 from London Heathrow to Mumbai on April 2 was cancelled due to an unforeseen diversion to Diyarbakir for urgent medical reasons. The A350-1000 aircraft upon landing encountered a technical problem and is undergoing repairs. The airline said, “We are evaluating all available options, including deploying another aircraft, to ensure our passengers reach Mumbai as soon as possible.”
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
One of the stranded passengers, in a PTI report, informed that they were sitting on the floor and were not provided with blankets. The passenger on the condition of anonymity told the agency that there was no vegetarian food available. Later, Virgin Atlantic issued a statement informing that overnight hotel accommodation along with refreshments had been provided to the passengers in Turkey.
