FAA Lifts Ban on Flights Between Turkey and the U.S.

The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) on Friday, saying it was prohibiting U.S. commercial and private aircraft from flying into or out of airports in Turkey and banning all flights from Turkey to the U.S. The emergency announcement came after a coup attempt in Turkey left 232 people dead and temporarily closed down Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport. An FAA spokesperson told Condé Nast Traveler just this morning that there was currently no set duration for the ban, and in a statement said that “the FAA is monitoring the situation in Turkey in coordination with our partners in the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and will update the restrictions as the situation evolves.” But, by this afternoon, the situation had improved enough for the FAA to lift its ban on U.S. flights to and from Turkey.

So What Does That Mean for Your Flight?

Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, the fourth-busiest airport in Europe and a major gateway for travel from the U.S. to Asia, has been reopened since Saturday morning, and is currently playing catch-up for the more than 200 domestic and international flights that were canceled due to the coup attempt. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines, recently ranked the best airline in Europe by Skytrax, canceled flights to and from the United States on Sunday and Monday, but its website carries no information about reservations beyond that date. This morning, a spokesperson from Turkish Airlines told Condé Nast Traveler, “Our scheduled U.S. flight operations will be restarted in the forthcoming days,” but could not offer specifics about when. A search on the airline’s website now shows a confirmed flight from Istanbul to New York-JFK tomorrow morning at 6:45 a.m. As a member of Star Alliance, Turkish Airlines currently carries direct routes between Istanbul and nine different U.S. cities, including New York-JFK, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

To understand the extent of the ramifications of the past weekend on air travel, imagine if London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, or Frankfurt—the only three European airports busier than Istanbul's—suddenly stopped receiving flights from the United States. Turkish Airlines’s Twitter account has been abuzz with complaints and concerns from passengers stranded in the U.S. and Turkey, and the airline has been asking passengers to call their help desk, where people have reported wait times over an hour long. Turkish Airlines issued a statement to its passengers this afternoon, saying it will rebook and reroute any Turkish Airlines travel to or from Turkey made between July 15 and July 20, allowing passengers to rebook their flights on dates up until August 15. Refunds for unused tickets, or portions of tickets, that fall in those dates are also being granted.

According to the Points Guy, the NOTAM was likely issued due to nonexistent security at Istanbul’s airport in the immediate wake of the coup, as people were seen walking through the airport—including on the tarmac—without having passed through security.

The U.S. State Department updated its travel warning for Turkey on July 16, saying, "In light of the July 15 coup attempt and its aftermath, we suggest U.S. citizens reconsider travel to Turkey at this time." The FAA decision and renewed warning are the latest blows to Turkey’s tourism industry, after the country has suffered from several terrorist attacks, including a suicide bombing at Ataturk International Airport in June that killed 41 people.