250 passengers on London-Mumbai flight stuck in Turkey for 39hrs
What's the story
Over 250 passengers of a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai have been stuck at Turkey's Diyarbakir Airport for over 39 hours.
An airline spokeswoman stated that the VS358 flight from London to Mumbai on April 2 was cancelled owing to an "urgent medical diversion."
After it landed, the plane developed a technical issue and is being inspected.
"Our engineers are continuing their thorough assessments of the aircraft, and we are actively exploring all options," it said.
Flight update
Virgin Atlantic issues apology, plans for resumption
Apologizing for the inconvenience, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said, "The safety and security of our customers and crew remains our highest priority."
VS1358 will depart for Mumbai from Diyarbakir Airport at 12:00 local time on April 4, but only if it receives the necessary technical approvals.
If not, customers will be transferred by bus to another aircraft at a different Turkish airport.
Passenger support
Passengers receive support amid ongoing situation
Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has assured that passengers are being given overnight hotel accommodation and refreshments in Turkey.
The airline said it is working toward a resolution and will keep all customers updated as soon as new developments are available.
Passengers and their family members have taken to social media to complain about the conditions at the airport.
They said there was only one toilet for nearly 300 passengers and no blankets when the temperature was in single digits.
Twitter Post
Visuals from the airport
My family along with 250+ passengers have been inhumanely treated by @virginatlantic .
— Hanuman Dass (@HanumanDassGD) April 3, 2025
Why is this chaos not being covered in the @BBCWorld or global media?? Over 30 hours confined at a military airport in Turkey.
In contact with the @ukinturkiye to please more pressure needed pic.twitter.com/TIIHgE07bb
Passenger complaints
Passengers express concerns over conditions at airport
"More than 200 Indian passengers, including a pregnant woman, are stranded without water and basic facilities. Please intervene urgently," a passenger appealed on X.
Another passenger wrote, "Diyarbakir is small military airport with no shops, no amenities, not even adequate toilets. It has three staff members and none of them speaks English. Virgin Atlantic has not thought it necessary to provide basic hygiene or hospitality for over 24 hours."