29.03.2026 20:51
The adverse weather conditions affecting Istanbul caused chaos at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. With planes unable to land and flights being canceled one after another, complete chaos reigned at the airport. As the terminal building turned into a sea of people, tired and angry passengers struggled for hours to retrieve their luggage.
The adverse weather conditions affecting Istanbul have practically paralyzed Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Due to unfavorable conditions, landings could not be made on the runways, and more than 45 planes stranded in the air were redirected to Istanbul Airport and nearby airports. However, the real crisis occurred among the thousands of passengers whose flights were canceled and who were stranded in the terminal.
FLIGHTS CANCELED, TERMINAL CHAOS
With operations at the airport coming to a standstill, a series of cancellation announcements came from the airlines. Pegasus Airlines announced that it would not be able to operate 76 flights, while AJet announced it would not be able to operate 51 flights due to adverse weather conditions. While the passengers on the redirected planes continued their uncertain wait, the terminal building witnessed one of the busiest crowds in recent years.
FOOTAGE REVEALED THE SCALE OF THE CHAOS
In the footage that surfaced on social media and recorded from inside the terminal, it can be seen that passengers created a crowd so dense in the check-in and baggage claim areas that you could drop a pin and it wouldn't hit the ground. The long lines stretching for miles in front of the counters led to the rebellion of exhausted passengers.
Passengers who said, "We haven't been able to get our luggage or find anyone to talk to for hours," expressed their outrage on social media.
BAGGAGE QUEUE TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE
Passengers whose flights were canceled or redirected to different airports struggled for hours to reach their luggage. The congestion in front of the baggage belts and moments when the airport staff were insufficient escalated the tension in the terminal. Citizens who had to spend the night on terminal seats and floors are waiting for a solution from the authorities.