More than 200 Indian passengers have been left stranded at a remote airport in Turkey for the last 18 hours after their Mumbai-bound flight made an emergency landing. The Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Turkey's Diyarbakir Airport (DIY) after a medical emergency, TOI reported.
The plane, VS 358, landed at the airport due to a medical emergency, then reportedly developed a technical issue. Passengers were also told that the plane developed a technical glitch while landing, leaving more than 200 Indian passengers stranded at the airport, which is reportedly unsuitable for handling the aircraft.
"When we landed, first we remained onboard the aircraft for five hours. Then we were asked to alight as the airline needed to fix a technical issue on the plane. We have now been at the airport for 13 hours with Virgin Atlantic neither making any arrangements for us nor giving us any information on when we will leave for Mumbai and then some passengers told TOI on the phone from there that the aircraft developed a snag," Sagar Kochhar, one of the stranded passengers, told TOI on the phone from Turkey.
Other flyers claimed that Virgin Atlantic asked passengers to make alternate arrangements if they can. "This is not Istanbul. How we make any arrangements, the airline is supposed to do so. We are sleeping on the floor, on chairs and the food being given is simply inedible," said another passenger.
Virgin Atlantic issues statement
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told TOI that the VS358 flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai on April 2 was cancelled due to an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey and subsequent technical inspections required.
"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused. We are urgently looking at all available options to ensure our customers can continue their journeys to Mumbai as quickly as possible, while our engineers carry out the necessary technical inspections of the aircraft. As soon as we have updated information, we will communicate to all customers involved," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, an X user named Satyam Surana has claimed that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured support.
"Ministry Of Civial Aviation has appointed a nodal officer to take care of the situation. Will be working until all passengers are back," he said.