As an unusual snowstorm blanketed swaths of the eastern Mediterranean region, triggering outages and traffic chaos, Europe’s busiest airport closed in Istanbul, while schools and immunisation centres in Athens closed.
On Monday, flights from the Middle East and Africa to Europe and Asia were grounded due to the shutdown of Istanbul Airport, where the roof of one of the cargo terminals collapsed under the weight of the snow, inflicting no injuries.
According to the AFP news agency, the glittering glass-and-steel structure was shut down for the first time since it replaced Istanbul’s old Ataturk Airport as Turkish Airlines’ new hub in 2019.
“All flights at Istanbul Airport have been temporarily halted for flight safety reasons due to bad weather conditions,” the airport announced in a post on Twitter.
The 16 million residents of Turkey’s largest metropolis were left with a tremendous headache when automobiles collided as they slid down steep, sleet-covered streets and motorways were converted into parking lots due to the shutdown.
Drivers from Thrace, a region reaching through the European section of Turkey to its western border with Bulgaria and Greece, have been informed that they would not be permitted to enter Istanbul, according to the Istanbul governor’s office.
Because of the snow, shopping malls stopped early, food delivery services ceased operations, and the city’s renowned “simit” bagel stands remained closed.
Major routes in central and southeastern Turkey, a hilly region first battered by a blizzard last week, were also closed by traffic officials.
Last year, Istanbul Airport handled more than 37 million people, making it one of the world’s busiest airports.
However, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s detractors have long questioned his plan to build the airport on a remote stretch of the Black Sea coast that is frequently fogged in the winter.
Turkish Airlines has announced that all flights from Istanbul Airport will be cancelled until at least 4 a.m. (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday.