Mumbai: A Virgin Atlantic flight (VS358) en route from London's Heathrow Airport to Mumbai on April 2 was redirected to Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey due to a medical emergency on board.
Following the acquisition of necessary technical approvals, the flight is set to continue its journey to Mumbai from Diyarbakir Airport at 12:00 local time today, according to the airline.
The flight was carrying over 200 passengers.
A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic stated, "If we do not receive the required approvals, we will arrange for a bus transfer to take customers to an alternative aircraft at a different Turkish airport tomorrow to complete their journey to Mumbai."
"In the meantime, we are providing passengers with overnight hotel accommodations and refreshments in Turkey while we work towards a solution, and we will keep all customers updated as new information becomes available," the spokesperson added.
The Airbus A350-1000 was initially scheduled to arrive in Mumbai at 1:40 am on Thursday.
In the meantime, the Indian Embassy in Ankara responded to a passenger's inquiry on X, assuring them of ongoing communication with the airline.
"The Embassy of India in Ankara is in continuous contact with Virgin Atlantic Airlines, the Diyarbakir Airport Directorate, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. Through our coordination, we are ensuring that passengers receive appropriate care. We are discussing with the relevant authorities to expedite a resolution and arrange an alternate flight to Mumbai for the affected passengers," the official X account of the Embassy in India in Ankara stated.
