Flights hit as snowfall affects life in Istanbul
Print Edition
HEAVY snowfall in Istanbul paralysed traffic and grounded hundreds of flights for a third straight day yesterday, while the Bosphorus closed to shipping traffic.
In freezing temperatures and heavy winds, the Bosphorus, one of the world’s busiest shipping bottlenecks, shut due to poor visibility, Turkish coastguards said.
All passenger ferry services, popular with commuters between the Asian and European side of Turkey’s largest city, were also cancelled.
Schools were shut across the city and were to remain closed today, the city’s governor’s office announced.
In the deepest snowfall since 2015, hundreds of flights have been cancelled over the last three days, stranding thousands of international passengers in Istanbul.
An official from Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines said that 314 flights had been cancelled yesterday. On a normal day, the airport can accommodate over 1,500 landings and take-offs.
Some international flights were expected to resume after 6pm, but all domestic flights to and from Ataturk airport had been scrapped.
Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi told angry stranded travellers the problems were due to a lack of take-off and landing slots at Ataturk in the snowy conditions.
Over 10,000 travellers unable to reach Istanbul had been accommodated in hotels worldwide, while over 5,000 who could not leave were put up in the city, Eksi said.
The Istanbul municipality meanwhile sent over 1,300 vehicles and 7,000 personnel into the streets to clear the snow.
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