Indian Passengers On London To Mumbai Flight Stranded In Turkey Reunite With Families After Murlidhar Mohol’s Swift Action
Indian Passengers On London To Mumbai Flight Stranded In Turkey Reunite With Families After Murlidhar Mohol’s Swift Action
In a significant rescue effort, a Virgin Atlantic flight (VS358) traveling from London to Mumbai with 260 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing at Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey due to a medical emergency involving one of the passengers. The airport, primarily a military facility with limited infrastructure, proved challenging for a commercial aircraft, resulting in a hard landing that caused issues with the aircraft’s landing gear.
Due to the remote nature of the airport and limited communication facilities, Indian passengers remained stranded. Some of the concerned relatives of the passengers contacted Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol seeking help.
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Mohol immediately initiated contact with the Civil Aviation Ministry, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, and concerned officials. A special coordination team was deployed by the Civil Aviation Ministry to liaise with passengers, the airline, and Turkish authorities. Additional support was sought from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Turkey.
Following the intervention, arrangements for food and accommodation were made for the stranded passengers. Special attention was given to pregnant women and children, and necessary medical aid was provided.
Virgin Atlantic attempted to resolve the aircraft’s landing gear issue but was unsuccessful. A replacement aircraft was dispatched from London, but Turkish authorities denied it landing permission. Consequently, Indian officials worked tirelessly to obtain a three-day transit visa and hotel accommodation for the passengers under Turkish government regulations.
Finally, a Virgin Atlantic special flight successfully departed from Turkey, and all 260 passengers safely arrived at Mumbai airport on Friday at 8:30 PM.
Murlidhar Mohol shared the update on his social media platform, expressing gratitude to all involved agencies for their swift and coordinated response.
