Thick fog paralyzes transportation across Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A blanket of dense fog in Istanbul has severely disrupted air and sea transportation in one of the world’s busiest metropolitan hubs, stranding thousands of passengers during the morning rush hour.

At Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the city’s Asian side, poor visibility made landings impossible for several hours on March 4.

Dozens of aircraft were forced to circle over the Marmara Sea as they awaited clearance.

As fuel levels dropped to critical levels, a total of 24 planes were diverted — 13 to Istanbul Airport on the European side and 11 to airports in other cities.

Landings at Sabiha Gökçen resumed later, but flight schedules remained disrupted, with ongoing delays to departures.

Maritime transport was also impacted.

The city’s main ferry operator announced cancellations and delays across several key routes.

Visibility dropped sharply along the Bosphorus, shrouding major crossings such as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in thick mist.

Several districts on both sides of the city were affected, and motorists were urged to drive with extreme caution.