Virgin Atlantic London-Mumbai Flight Diverted to Turkey: All 260 Passengers Land Safely in Mumbai After 3-Day Ordeal

Pune/Mumbai, 5th April 2025: A Virgin Atlantic flight (VS358) from London to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey after a passenger onboard required urgent medical attention. Though the emergency was managed, passengers faced a difficult three-day ordeal before finally reaching Mumbai safely at 8:30 PM on Friday, confirmed Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.

The aircraft, carrying 260 passengers, was forced to land at Diyarbakir Airport, a small military airbase with limited infrastructure and communication facilities. “Due to the hard landing on a runway not equipped for large international aircraft, the plane’s landing gear was damaged,” Mohol said.

Many passengers, including Indian nationals, were left stranded in unfamiliar surroundings with little support initially. “Some of the passengers’ relatives reached out to me for help,” Mohol stated. “Understanding the urgency, I immediately coordinated with officials from the aviation ministry and contacted Virgin Atlantic.”

A special team from the Ministry of Civil Aviation was deployed to liaise with the stranded passengers, Virgin Atlantic, and local Turkish authorities. Assistance was also sought from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Ambassador to Turkey.

“Accommodation and meals were arranged for all passengers at our request,” Mohol added. “Special care was taken for pregnant women and children—medical services and essential supplies were provided.”

Virgin Atlantic dispatched another aircraft from London to evacuate the passengers. However, permission to land the replacement aircraft was denied by the Turkish government and military authorities, causing further delays.

“With the help of our civil aviation department, hotel accommodation and three-day transit visas were arranged for the stranded passengers under Turkish immigration rules,” Mohol noted. “We were in constant touch with the airline and Turkish authorities to resolve the situation.”

After securing the necessary permissions and completing technical formalities, Virgin Atlantic operated a special rescue flight, which brought the passengers safely to Mumbai.

“We monitored the situation closely and worked round-the-clock to ensure the well-being of all passengers. I am relieved to share that everyone is now safe,” Mohol said.