Turkish airport cancels flights as snowstorm hits south east Europe – ‘Flights stopped!’ | Weather | News

Holidaymakers at Istanbul Airport, which was reportedly Europe’s busiest in 2021, were hit by mass cancellations after a snowstorm swept across the Mediterranean. The decision to close the airport was the first time it had been shut down since it replaced Istanbul’s old Ataturk Airport as the new hub for Turkish Airlines back in 2019.

The airport, which is located in Turkey’s largest city, was so badly affected that the roof of one of the cargo terminals collapsed under heavy snow.

However, the collapse reportedly caused no injuries.

The airport confirmed: “Due to adverse conditions that have [sic] affected Istanbul since noon, we are struggling to continue our operations foremost with Turkish Airlines and all our stakeholders.

“More than half of our passengers stranded on board have been evacuated and all evacuations are planned to be completed as soon as possible.

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“We send our apologies to all our passengers and their loved ones.”

Later on, Istanbul Airport added in an update: “The suspension of flight operations have been extended until 13.00 on January 25 due to adverse weather conditions.”

The airport’s posts also included a photo of a yellow snow plough roaming around the snow-covered runway.

However, the Guardian has claimed inhabitants in the city have faced difficulty on the roads, with sleet-covering streets and highways brought to a standstill.

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“We had a small bottle of water between us.

“Everything is frozen stiff.”