'We need hotel': Tourists protest as many stranded in İstanbul Airport after blizzards

Photo: Gerçek Gündem

Click to read the article in Turkish

Amid the heaviest snowfall of the recent years and blizzard conditions, the İstanbul Airport has been closed to air traffic since yesterday evening (January 24).

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded in the airport as some had to wait in planes for hours while others were seen sleeping on cardboards and conveyor belts. There was also a shortage of food and drinks, ANKA news agency reported.

CLICK - İstanbul hit by heavy snow: Airports and highways closed

Earlier today, foreign tourists protested the situation, chanting, "We need hotel." The authorities deployed riot police to the area where the tourists were protesting.

Opened in 2018, the İstanbul Airport is one of the largest airports in the world. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described it as "a masterpiece."

However, experts have long opposed the airport because of its location, saying that it is the area most affected by the air movements in the city, which would cause flight interruptions and increase the risk of accidents.

A big accident also happened at the airport yesterday when the roof of a cargo terminal belonging to the Turkish Airlines (THY) collapsed during a blizzard. Several workers were slightly injured in the incident.

İstanbul Havalimanı'ndan yeni görüntüler: Bir yanda polis, bir yanda turistler

— Tele1 TV (@tele1comtr) January 25, 2022

(AS/VK)