MUMBAI- The London (LHR) to Mumbai (BOM) Virgin Atlantic (VS) flight, carrying around 200 Indian passengers, made an emergency landing at Diyarbakir Airport (DIY) in Turkey on Thursday, April 3rd.
Flight VS358 from London Heathrow (LHR) to Mumbai (BOM) was diverted due to an urgent medical emergency. This was followed by a hard landing that prevented the aircraft from taking off again. The incident left passengers stranded at the military airport, but they might resume flight back to Mumbai today.
Photo: Clément Alloing200 Indians Stranded in Turkey
Passengers faced significant hardships during their unexpected stay, with reports of inadequate facilities, including a single toilet shared among nearly 300 people and no blankets provided to endure the cold weather.
“We’re freezing in Turkey.”
A passenger wrote on social media as temperatures dropped into the single digits
Another affected family member, Sanjay Shah, expressed frustration: “My family member is stuck up in Diyarbakir. She was visiting to see her father, who has a weak medical condition. Why such cheap behavior from a top airline company? No food, no water. All the cabin crew vanished after landing.”
Over 250 India bound Virgin Atlantic passengers stuck for over 30 hours at Turkish military airport.. no food, no toilet or charging points
Flight #vs358 from London to Mumbai made an emergency stop in Diyarbakır, Turkey after a medical scare.. later claimed the flight has… pic.twitter.com/AzxyPIvFFa
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) April 4, 2025
A Virgin Atlantic (VS) spokesperson acknowledged the situation, stating, “The VS358 flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Mumbai (BOM) on 2 April was canceled due to an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey, followed by ongoing technical inspections of the aircraft.”
The spokesperson added, “Subject to receiving the necessary technical approvals, we will continue flight VS1358 to Mumbai from Diyarbakır Airport at noon local time (14:30hours IST approx) on Friday, 4 April.”
Virgin Atlantic (VS) outlined its contingency plan if technical approvals were not received: “We plan instead to provide a bus transfer for customers to an alternative aircraft at another Turkish airport tomorrow to complete our customers journey to Mumbai.”
The airline stated that passengers were being provided with overnight hotel accommodation and refreshments in Turkey while they worked toward a resolution. “We will keep all customers informed as soon as new updates become available,” the spokesperson said.
Photo: Clément AlloingSocial Media and Embassy Support
Social media user Satyam Surana, who initially highlighted the passengers’ plight, claimed, “@VirginAtlantic has brutally failed to give any substantial update & support to the stranded passengers. Women, senior citizens, babies, everyone is stranded and frustrated.”
The Indian Embassy in Turkey has been monitoring the situation and assisting the affected passengers throughout the ordeal.
Update: Embassy has been constantly pursuing the matter relating to the emergency landing of Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkiye.
Thanks to our efforts, all stranded 99 Indian passengers were issued temporary visas yesterday night.…
— IndiaInTürkiye (@IndiaInTurkiye) April 4, 2025
The flight, originally scheduled to land in Mumbai (BOM) at 1:40 am on Thursday, is now expected to resume its journey toward Mumbai (BOM) today at around 14:30 IST, pending necessary technical clearance. Virgin Atlantic (VS) has apologized for the inconvenience, emphasizing that passenger safety remains their highest priority.
Check Virgin Atlantic’s Latest Update on its Website here.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
Virgin Atlantic London to Mumbai Flight with A350 Emergency Landing at Military Airport
The post Over 200 Indians Stranded in Turkey to Resume Flight Today appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
