In the early hours of Monday, February 6th, millions of Turkish and Syrian residents felt the effect of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Later in the day, a second earthquake rocked the area, measuring a magnitude of 7.5. At the time of writing, over 1,300 people are estimated to have passed away from the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

Infrastructure has been uprooted across the region, with hundreds of buildings and roads being destroyed. Internet, power, and cellular services have been completely disabled in many areas. Several major airports across the region have also taken damage leading to their closures. Only one major airport in the region remains open, and it is only open for aircraft carrying relief supplies or airlifting people out.

Airport closures

While all airports across Southern Turkey and Northern Syria likely felt the earthquake, three airports, in particular, have ceased operations.

The first airport closure is Turkey's Adana Sakirpasa Airport (ADA). This airport in the southern Turkish province of Adana has likely sustained some damage to its terminal, like other buildings in the area. However, amid the chaos, no reports have been released describing damage to the airport. As the dust settles, more information cornering airport condition will be released.

In the nearby Hatay Province, Hatay Airport (HTY) has been closed due to a damaged runway. The southern Turkish airport took substantial damage as a large crack formed in the middle of its runway, causing the asphalt to jet upwards like a small mountain range. Local authorities chose to halt all flight services to and from the airport.

Another airport closure is that of the nearby Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport (GZT). GZT has only suffered minor damage, with no damage sustained to the runway. Despite this, local authorities have closed the airport to all civilian flight services. Only aircraft bringing relief supplies and those performing medical evacuation operations can operate at the airfield. The airport remains on high alert as the earthquake's epicenter was approximately 30 miles away.

Safety precautions

The airport closures come as a safety precaution for all travelers. Local authorities have made these decisions based on current damage to the airports and potential additional damage that could still occur. The initial earthquake had devastating consequences; however, subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks have also been devastating.

Photo: Kichigin | Shutterstock

According to The National News, the effects of the earthquake have been felt as far away as Greenland, with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland stating that the earthquake registered on seismographs there. The size, scale, and high number of strong aftershocks have contributed to the decision to close multiple airports in fear that more damage may occur.

More reports concerning the devastation will arise in the coming hours and days. Information concerning the damaged infrastructure will allow us to better understand the damage sustained by the airports. No UK airlines are reporting cancellations of flights to Turkey, but disruption could emerge in the coming days.

It will likely be several days before standard flight operations at GZT and ADA are reopened. It will be even longer before operations at HTY resume, as the runway will need significant repairs and be tested to ensure its safety and stability. Regardless, once standard operations resume, more relief will be able to reach the country, assisting the millions of people affected by the disaster.

What do you think of these airport closures? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: The National News, Crisis24, Air Live