Over 250 passengers, mostly Indians, have been stranded at Turkey’s Diyarbakir Airport for more than 30 hours after their Mumbai-bound Virgin Atlantic flight made an emergency landing on Wednesday morning. The flight, which departed from London’s Heathrow Airport, was scheduled to land in Mumbai at 1:40 AM on Thursday but was diverted due to a medical emergency on board.
Stranded at a Military Airport with Limited Facilities
Diyarbakir Airport, a small military airport in southeastern Turkey, has limited amenities, making the ordeal even more challenging for the passengers. Following the emergency landing, the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft was deemed unfit to fly due to a technical issue, leaving passengers stuck with no immediate resolution in sight.
While the flight crew was accommodated in a hotel after deboarding, passengers were confined to a small area inside the airport. Reports indicate they were left without sufficient food, functional toilets, or even access to phone charging facilities.
Passengers Express Frustration on Social Media
Preeti Sharma Menon, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), highlighted the passengers’ plight on X (formerly Twitter), stating that her sister and niece were among those stranded.
“It’s getting grim every moment. The airport toilets are unusable. Food is scarce. Phones are running out of charge as there are no shops to buy Turkish adapters. Airport staff doesn’t even speak English,” she wrote.
Another user, Sherilyn Fernandes, shared that her relative had received only one sandwich to eat. “If not anything, just provide water and food at least,” she pleaded in her post.
Adding to their distress, some passengers claimed that airport staff were “furious” about the landing and were even demanding passports from the travelers.
Virgin Atlantic Responds
Acknowledging the situation, Virgin Atlantic issued a statement saying they were exploring several options, including deploying an alternative aircraft to complete the journey to Mumbai.
“Our engineers are continuing their thorough assessments of the aircraft, and we are actively exploring all options, including the operation of an alternative aircraft, to ensure customers can reach Mumbai as soon as possible,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
Following significant delays, the airline arranged overnight hotel accommodations for the stranded passengers.
In response to Menon’s concerns on social media, the airline stated, “We’re sincerely sorry for the disruption experienced due to the urgent medical diversion. Our customers are now in overnight hotel accommodation in Turkey, while we work towards a resolution tomorrow so they can continue their journey to Mumbai. We’ll keep all customers informed.”
Next Steps for Passengers
According to reports from ANI, the aircraft is expected to take off for Mumbai at 12:00 PM local time today, pending necessary technical approvals. However, if the approvals are not granted, passengers will be transported by bus to another Turkish airport, where an alternative aircraft will be arranged for them.
As the situation unfolds, Virgin Atlantic has assured that passengers will continue to receive accommodation and refreshments until a resolution is found.
Sources By Agencies