The Aam Aadmi Party has appealed to India and United Kingdom authorities to persuade Virgin Atlantic Airline to rescue 275 passengers abandoned for over 24 hours by the airline.
“Virgin Atlantic flight VS 358 left Heathrow London at 11:40 local time for Mumbai on April 2, 2025. It was due to land in Mumbai at 1:40 local time on April 3,” Preeti Sharma-Menon, AAP Mumbai president and national executive member, said.
However, it made an emergency stop at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey as a passenger needed medical attention at 7 pm local time, April 2.
The plane made a “hard landing”, and VA said it was unfit to fly. So, all passengers were disembarked. The crew was sent to a hotel, but the passengers were cordoned off in one area at the airport.
“It’s been 24 hours and not single airline representative has met the passengers. They have barely any food, one toilet amongst 275 passengers, phones running out of batteries as they don’t have Turkish adapters. There are babies, pregnant women, diabetics and old people in this ordeal,” she said.
.@UK_CAA @ukhomeoffice @richardbranson
Can anyone respond please?!
270 odd pax of #VS358 London Mumbai are stuck in Diyarbakir almost a day now!
Unusable toilets, no food, no phone chargers, no communication whatsoever from @VirginAtlantic !— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) April 3, 2025
Diyarbakir is small military airport with no shops, no amenities, not even adequate toilets. They have 3 staff members and none of them speak English. Virgin Atlantic has not thought it necessary to provide basic hygiene or hospitality for over 24 hours.
“The sent one mail initially saying that they are trying to fix the plane and those passengers who wish to leave on their own may do so! But there are no other flights out of Diyarbakir so one doesn’t know how passengers are supposed to make their own arrangements,” she added.
Then they send another mail a few hours back saying that there is no availability of hotel rooms and they are still trying to fix the plane. That is not true. Hotels are available but neither is VA booking them nor is the airport authority letting the passengers go out on their own.
“This is almost like a hostage situation. VA could have easily arranged a couple of small planes to evacuate them out to Istanbul. But they haven’t bothered to do so. Unless the governments of India and UK intervene the airline will let the passengers stay stranded indefinitely,” the AAP leader said.
In the last 24 hours the complete absence of communication and comfort has shown the airline doesn’t care at all.
AAP leader took to her X account and thanked Indian Consular Officer in Turkey after the passengers were moved to a hotel on Thursday night.
She however said that a definitive plan on when they will arrive here.
Thanks to the Indian Consular Officer in Turkey the passengers were moved to a hotel last night. Virgin Atlantic has still not provided a definitive plan on when they will fly home.