The rainstorm that has affected several areas of Istanbul in recent hours has caused serious disruption to sea, land and air transport, forcing the cancellation and diversion of numerous flights at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the Asian side of the city, where low visibility forced dozens of planes to abort their landing operations due to the impossibility of making landings.
Numerous Turkish media reported in recent hours of serious difficulties for planes during landing manoeuvres at Sabiha Gökçen Airport because of low visibility due to heavy rainfall in the region. Aircraft on descent manoeuvres, affected by the adverse weather conditions, found it impossible to safely approach the runways.
Several of these aircraft, after spending long periods in the air awaiting conditions conducive to landing, reached a critical fuel situation, so that more than half a hundred aircraft declared a critical fuel alert and had to be diverted to alternative airports; most of them were diverted to Istanbul Airport, although one flight was redirected to Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara.
A hundred flights cancelled by Pegasus Airlines
Turkish Airlines subsidiary AJet was among those forced to cancel a significant number of flights due to weather conditions; in a statement, the airline said 51 flights departing from or arriving at Sabiha Gökçen Airport were cancelled and 11 others diverted to alternative airports, and warned that further cancellations could occur depending on weather conditions. Pegasus Airlines also announced in a statement that around 100 flights to and from Istanbul’s Asian airport had been cancelled.
Following the difficult morning air traffic situation, air operations at Sabiha Gökçen Airport resumed after hours once visibility returned to normal levels. However, rain continues to fall heavily in different areas of the city, and the Meteorological Emergency Commission has warned that adverse conditions will persist in the region throughout today; therefore, passengers are advised to check the status of their flights through their airlines’ official channels before travelling to the airport.
Beyond the air, heavy rain, thunderstorms and fog banks have also led to cancellations of shipping in Istanbul. Weather forecasts indicate that the heavy rainfall will continue to affect the Eastern Marmara region as well as some areas of the Black Sea region. Further information on flight status can be found directly on the Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport website.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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