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Istanbul flight hub & possible upcoming issues Iran

Posted by on

Is anyone else concerned about flying into and out of Istanbul, in the context of possible military action in Iran? I realize Iran is all the way at eastern border of Türkiye, and I don't expect to be shot out of the sky, but do have upcoming flights in next few weeks - arriving at Istanbul, and then landing/departing Istanbul hub.

If there actions in Iran and Middle East, I could see there being an effect on passenger commercial flights in region and Türkiye. I do not know though, and I also hope the best for the population at this terrible time. There is an online predictions betting site, Polymarket, that has it currently listed as 48% chance of strike in the next three weeks. Although much of this may be random guessing, it does appear there are a few insiders (remember the very large bet on Venezuela/Madero with exact date), and Our Leader's son is on the Board as well. Anyway safe travels, and hope the people of Iran make it through this difficult time.

Posted by
1125 posts

Istanbul is nowhere near Iran, so I am struggling to see how there would be any impact. I flew to Istanbul at the same time as the US strike last year, and qas tgwre again a couple of weeks ago, and am flying over Türkiye right now. In our flight last year the aircraft just diverted away from the gulf. We flew across northern Türkiye, Armenia and Azebaijan and across the Caspian. Obviously it depends where you're going.

Posted by
1125 posts

I see what you mean, but I wouldn't expect anything more than maybe longer flight times. Now gulf airlines like Qatar were more affected last time due to their location.

Posted by
13304 posts

Flights going East from Istanbul may need some route modifications, but those between N America and Istanbul should in no way be affected. The geography dictates that.

Posted by
140 posts

Thank you both.. So flight route might not be affected, but I'm thinking there might be possible delays depending on airplane availability , staffing, and related issues. Sorry if this is seeming small, in the larger context. I know many people are fighting for their lives and their freedom.

Posted by
1125 posts

I can't see why there would be any aircraft availability or staffing issues in Istanbul, based on last year's experience. All I can see is potentially slightly longer flight times. Obviously none of this is good, but aircraft reroute, and Istanbul is nowhere near Iran.

Posted by
2290 posts

This may or may not be comparable, but in October 2023, less than a week after the October 11 attack, I flew from Cairo to Amman. No disruption whatsoever. The aircraft had to avoid Israeli airspace, but I was not aware of any delay or late arrival.

As others have said, I can't imagine any disruption in Istanbul if there's a military action or war in Iran.

Posted by
25456 posts

Flights from Europe to East Asia that change in Istanbul can fly directly or nearly directly over Iran. In 2024 when I traveled to Australia a certain Middle Eastern country began dropping munitions on Iran. As a result our flight out of Istanbul was delayed several hours, then eventually rerouted. You can see the flight paths on line. Facinating.

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