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Flight VS358, which was en route from London Heathrow to Mumbai on April 2, was cancelled after an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır, Turkey.
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Over 250 passengers including Indians, stuck in Turkey after a Virgin Atlantic flight (VS358) that took off from London Heathrow to Mumbai in April was diverted to Diyarbakır Airport, will be flown back to Mumbai today. The flight was diverted due to an urgent medical reason and the passengers have been stuck for over 39 hours now.
After receiving the required technical clearances, the flight is set to depart from Diyarbakır Airport and continue to Mumbai at 12:00 local time today, according to the airline.
Virgin Atlantic said on Thursday that it was considering all possible solutions, including deploying an alternative aircraft, to fly passengers to Mumbai.
In a statement, the airline explained that flight VS358, which was en route from London Heathrow to Mumbai on April 2, was cancelled after an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır, Turkey.
Upon arrival at the airport, the A350-1000 aircraft faced a technical issue, which is currently being addressed.
“We are actively exploring all options, including the operation of an alternative aircraft, to ensure customers can reach Mumbai as soon as possible,” the airline stated.
One of the stranded passengers told PTI that they were forced to sit on the floor, with no blankets available. “Also, there is no vegetarian food available,” the passenger shared, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
In an updated statement, Virgin Atlantic confirmed that passengers were being provided with hotel accommodation and refreshments for the night in Turkey.
One passenger, Hanuman Dass, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration, revealing that over 300 Indians and British citizens were stuck in Turkey in what he described as an “awful situation.” Dass mentioned that his family was among the stranded passengers.
“Doing nothing to help the people, 1 toilet for 300 people, and held in a confined space for over 15 hours. @VirginAtlantic staff nowhere to be seen. My family is caught up,” he posted.
In another update, Dass said that passengers had not received any information and that it had been 27 hours since they left London.
(With inputs from agency)
