Holidays’ will soar
Many were told they would have to wait until Monday before they could fly, while others, who were due to catch connections in Istanbul, were placed on flights to London.
Neil Pudney, 35, an aerospace engineer from Kirkcaldy, Fife, was due to fly to Jakarta via Istanbul ahead of a five-week business trip.
He said the cancellation would “significantly impact” his business.
He explained: “I found out the flight had been cancelled last night,
An unidentified man in Istanbul uses his belt to hit Turkish soldiers involved in the coup attempt. Above, debris left in the streets. but I thought it was best to come to the airport.
“I’ve been told to come back on Monday when, hopefully, I’ll fly to Istanbul. I was due to catch a connecting flight to Jakarta for a business trip. I had meetings lined-up with important clients, but the delay is now going to have a significant impact on business and the trip will be cut short.”
The dad-of-three said he had spoken to colleagues who are stranded in Istanbul.
“They’ve been posting messages on Facebook,” he said. “They said the atmosphere at Ataturk Airport was terrifying, with loads of armed soldiers running around both inside the airport and airside.
“At one point, he said, there was a deafening noise that caused all the windows to shake. There were people screaming, panicking.
“Fortunately, it was just a jet flying overhead, but I think people are living in fear just now.”
Les and Diane Howes, of Dunfermline, Fife, were also booked on the Turkish Airlines flight and were due to fly to Baku from Istanbul.
They said they were more worried about their friends, who are currently on holiday in Turkey, than their cancelled flight.
Diane, 54, a lecturer at Fife College, said: “We spoke to our friends on FaceTime last night and again this morning. They said they’ve been told to stay inside the hotel and not to go out. They were going to come home early but they’ve now decided to stay. It’s very worrying.”
British Airways cancelled all flights to Turkey yesterday but added it was keeping the situation under review.
Meanwhile, low cost airline easyJet said it did not expect any changes to its schedule.
A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook, which offers charter flights to Turkey, said: “There is no indication that guests in the coastal resorts are affected.
“However, as a precautionary measure, we advise our customers to stay in their hotels until further notice.
“Given the circumstances, we are offering free amendments and cancellations for all customers due to fly to Turkey this weekend.”
A spokesman for travel trade body ABTA said: “The vast majority of British travellers to Turkey will fly directly to the beach resorts on Turkey’s south coast which are hundreds of miles away from Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
“ABTA estimates there are currently 50,000 people on holiday with its members in Turkey. There is no indication that guests in the coastal resorts are affected.”