40 Hours And Counting: 250 Flying From London To Mumbai Stranded In Turkey

More than 250 passengers on a London-Mumbai Virgin Atlantic flight, many of them Indians, are stuck in Turkey’s Diyarbakir airport for over 40 hours now.

An airline spokesperson has said the VS358 flight from London to Mumbai on 2nd April was cancelled due to an “urgent medical diversion” to Diyarbakir airport. After landing, the aircraft suffered a technical issue and is being inspected.

“The safety and security of our customers and crew remains our highest priority, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. Subject to receiving the necessary technical approvals, we will continue flight VS1358 to Mumbai from Diyarbakir Airport at 12:00 local time on Friday 4th April,” the Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said.

“If approvals are not received, we plan instead to provide a bus transfer for customers to an alternative aircraft at another Turkish airport tomorrow to complete our customers’ journey to Mumbai,” the airline said. “In the meantime, passengers are being provided with overnight hotel accommodation and refreshments in Turkey, while we work towards a resolution, and we will keep all customers informed as soon as new updates become available,” Virgin Atlantic said.

Stranded passengers and their family members have taken to social media to flag issues they are facing. Many complained of a single toilet for the 300-odd passengers as they waited at the airport. A passenger told news agency PTI that the passengers had not been provided blankets to brave the single-digit temperatures. Visuals showed passengers resting on airport seats, visibly harrowed by the delay and uncertainty after the disruption.

The Prime Minister thanked members of Parliament who voiced their perspectives and contributed to strengthening the legislation. “A special thanks also to the countless people who sent their valuable inputs to the Parliamentary committee. Yet again, the importance of extensive debate and dialogue has been reaffirmed,” he said.

“For decades, the Waqf system was synonymous with lack of transparency and accountability. This especially harmed the interests of Muslim women, poor Muslims, Pasmanda Muslims. The legislations passed by Parliament will boost transparency and also safeguard people’s rights,” he said on X.

“We will now enter an era where the framework will be more modern and sensitive to social justice. On a larger note, we remain committed to prioritising the dignity of every citizen. This is also how we build a stronger, more inclusive and more compassionate India,” the Prime Minister added.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which drew strong protest from the Opposition and key Muslim organisations, cleared the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and Rajya Sabha on Thursday. It now awaits President Droupadi Murmu’s assent before it becomes an Act.
The government insists that the legislation would make the functioning of Waqf bodies more efficient and transparent. The Opposition, however, has said this was an attack on the rights of minorities and accused the government of eyeing Waqf properties.