Over 200 Indian Passengers Stranded in Turkey After Virgin Atlantic Flight Makes Emergency Landing

Diyarbakir, Turkey – More than 200 Indian passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for Mumbai from London found themselves stranded at Diyarbakir Airport (DIY) in southeastern Turkey for over 16 hours on Thursday. The emergency landing occurred due to a medical crisis involving a passenger, which later turned out to be linked to a panic attack, causing significant disruptions to the flight's schedule.

Flight VS 358, which was en route to Mumbai, had to make an unplanned landing at the Turkish airport, which was ill-equipped to handle the large aircraft. Initial reports suggest that the airline had informed passengers about a technical issue during landing, but the situation quickly escalated due to the lack of adequate facilities and further communication from Virgin Atlantic.

Passengers on board, many of whom were traveling with young children and elderly relatives, reported frustration and distress after being left in a nearly vacant terminal for hours without any updates. Despite the prolonged delay, passengers were reportedly given little to no information about alternative travel arrangements or plans to return to Mumbai.

One passenger shared on social media, “We’ve been stuck for more than 12 hours at this airport with no idea of what’s happening. Virgin Atlantic hasn’t communicated anything, and there’s no assistance in sight.”

As the hours passed, the situation became more tense. With no clear guidance from the airline, many passengers were left anxious, with children and sick individuals in need of care and attention.

The ordeal drew the attention of Indian authorities. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured support for the stranded passengers, offering assistance to facilitate their return home. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) also intervened, appointing a nodal officer to closely monitor the situation and ensure a timely resolution.

This incident echoes a recent episode involving Air India. Last month, an Air India flight traveling from Chicago to Delhi had to turn back due to several malfunctioning lavatories. The airline cited the presence of foreign objects in the plumbing system as the cause, reportedly linked to improper use by passengers. Air India emphasized the need for passengers to use restrooms only for their intended purposes, citing previous maintenance issues including items such as "blankets, innerwear, and diapers" found in the aircraft's toilet systems.

As of now, there has been no official statement from Virgin Atlantic on when alternative travel arrangements will be made for the stranded passengers. In the meantime, passengers are being urged to remain patient as efforts are underway to ensure their safe return to Mumbai.