The 260 Virgin Atlantic passengers, who were stranded for more than 40 hours at a Turkey airport, finally arrived at the Mumbai Airport late in the evening on Friday. The passengers were stuck at Turkey’s Diyarbakir Airport after their Mumbai-bound aircraft from London was diverted to the airport on Wednesday. Scroll on to know more about this.
Stranded Passengers On Virgin Atlantic Flight Land In Mumbai
According to the Deccan Herald, the Mumbai-bound Virgin Atlantic aircraft from London, which was diverted to the Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey on Wednesday, finally landed in Mumbai on Friday. After more than 40 hours of ordeal, the 260 passengers landed at the Mumbai Airport late on Friday evening.
In a statement issued by Virgin Atlantic, they explained that the VS358 flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai on April 2 was cancelled due to an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey. Subsequently, the aircraft also required technical inspections. The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused to the passengers.
On April 4, with all necessary technical approvals secured, the plane departed Diyarbakir Airport at 1 PM (local time). Now operating as flight VS1358, the flight landed at around 8:49 PM (local time) in Mumbai, the airline shared.
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40+ Hours Of Ordeal With No Basic Amenities
Around 260 passengers were stuck at Diyarbakir Airport after the Mumbai-bound Virgin Atlantic flight diverted to Turkey on Wednesday. The A350-1000 aircraft, with over 300 seats, was diverted due to a medical emergency. According to the statement issued by the airline, “Due to the nature of the landing, the aircraft required extensive technical inspection before Virgin Atlanticthe aircraft was cleared to operate.”
This left the passengers stranded at the airport for more than 40 hours! According to the many social media posts, the passengers were sitting on the floor, with no water, vegetarian food options, and basic facilities like blankets. Virgin Atlantic spokesperson, however, assured that the passengers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation on Thursday evening.
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We are glad that the nightmarish experience of these passengers is finally over. Have you ever faced a similar situation? Let us know in the comments.
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/virginatlantic & X/@aneeshp