Those two EARTHQUAKES major from Turkey, both with a magnitude of over 7.5 degrees, have already killed nearly 4.000 people and injured tens of thousands of residents of Turkey and Syria. Authorities have closed airspace in the region to facilitate the delivery of aid. Next to the airport Hatay, where the runway is destroyed, and the airports of Adana and Gaziantep were closed. The second is the main airport where international rescue service aircraft land.
Hatay Airports, Adana and Gaziantep were closed
The situation at the region's airports is becoming clearer as the hours pass. The one from Gaziantep-Oğuzeli (GZT) was closed to commercial traffic although damage there was minor and the runway is apparently intact. Located about 50 km from the epicenter, the city of one million inhabitants will receive planes arriving from Turkey and abroad with rescue teams, where Medevacs are also allowed.
Six airlines are present at Gaziantep Airport, including Turkish Airlines, AnadoluJet, Pegasus Airlines, Corendon Airlines and Sun Express, But and Iraqi Airways. International routes are mainly to Germany and to and from Iraq, with Turkish Airlines also serving Zurich and Basel-Mulhouse during peak season.
Airport in Hatay was closed because the runway was badly damaged in the earthquake, and Adana airport was closed to commercial air traffic to facilitate the landing of international aircraft arriving with aid and rescue teams.
In Syria, the status of the airports in the northwest of the country is not known, especially in Antakya-Bassel el Assad. The situation is more complicated for the delivery of aid because of the US blockade against the country. The area affected by the earthquakes is not controlled by the government. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US is committed to providing aid to Syrians by “ humanitarian partners present on the ground”, but without going through the government in Damascus. .