No food, one toilet: Passengers' fume as 30-hour Turkey airport ordeal drags on

More than 250 passengers, including several Indians, have been stranded for over 30 hours at Turkey's Diyarbakir Airport after a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai was forced to make an emergency landing.

Flight VS358, operated by an Airbus A350-1000, departed London Heathrow at 11:40 a.m. local time on April 2 and was scheduled to land in Mumbai at 1:40 a.m. on April 3. However, the plane made an unscheduled landing at Diyarbakir Airport around 7 p.m. local time after a passenger required urgent medical attention.

Following what Virgin Atlantic described as a “hard landing,” the aircraft was deemed unfit to fly due to a technical issue. Passengers were disembarked, but while the crew was transported to a hotel, passengers remained confined to a restricted area within the small regional airport, which lacks adequate facilities.

"We are actively exploring all options, including the operation of an alternative aircraft, to ensure customers can reach Mumbai as soon as possible," Virgin Atlantic said in a statement Thursday.

Passengers, however, painted a grim picture of their ordeal. X users detailed a lack of basic amenities, including insufficient food, limited toilet facilities, and a lack of charging points for electronic devices.

"It’s been 24 hours and not a single airline representative has met the passengers. They have barely any food, one toilet amongst 275 pax, phones running out of batteries as they don’t have Turkish adapters. There are babies, pregnant women, diabetics and old people in this ordeal," wrote Sherilyn Fernandes on X.

Fernandes also alleged, "The airport staff is furious about the landing, even though it’s not the passengers’ fault. They are even demanding their passports."

Passengers said Virgin Atlantic initially offered to reimburse travellers if they found their own way to Istanbul — nearly 1,400 kilometres away — and from there, onward to Mumbai. However, alternate travel options are limited, and no commercial flights operate directly from Diyarbakir to India.

"My family member is stuck up in Diyarbakir. She was visiting to meet her father, who has a weak medical condition," wrote X user Sanjay Shah. "Why such cheap behavior from a top aviation company? No food, no water. All the cabin crew vanished after landing."

The Indian Embassy in Turkey said it is in contact with the airport and other authorities.

"The Embassy of India, Ankara is in constant communication with Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Diyarbakir Airport Directorate, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkiye," it posted on X. "Through the Mission’s coordination, appropriate care is being extended to the passengers. We are in discussion with the related authorities for the early resolution of the issue and the arrangement of an alternate flight to Mumbai for the stranded passengers."

X user Satyam Surana, who initially highlighted the passengers’ plight, said, "@VirginAtlantic has brutally failed to give any substantial update & support to the stranded passengers. Women, senior citizens, babies, everyone is stranded and frustrated."

Diyarbakir Airport, described by passengers as a small military airport with limited facilities, has further compounded the passengers’ discomfort.