More than 200 Indian passengers were left stranded in Turkey after a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Diyarbakir Airport (DIY). The flight, VS 358, had to divert due to a medical emergency but was unable to take off again due to a technical issue that reportedly developed during the landing, according to a News18 report.
The Diyarbakir Airport, where the plane landed, is reportedly not equipped to handle such an aircraft. Passengers said they had been left without clear communication from the airline about their onward journey.
“Emergency landing was made as one passenger had a panic attack. The airport in Turkey is not efficient enough to handle the aircraft,” a stranded passenger told News18.
Another passenger told Republic that people, including women, children, and those with medical conditions, had been stranded in a semi-empty terminal for over 14 hours with minimal updates.
An X user, Satyam Surana, stated that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured support, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation had appointed a nodal officer to manage the situation.
Similar Incidents Raise Concerns
The incident comes just weeks after an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi was forced to return to its departure point due to multiple lavatories becoming unusable. The airline attributed the issue to passengers flushing inappropriate items, such as “polythene bags, rags, and clothes,” causing plumbing blockages.
Virgin Atlantic has yet to provide an official statement on how it plans to resolve the situation for the stranded passengers in Turkey.
Sources By Agencies
