Mass delays at Turkish airports due to POLNET system malfunction

A global disruption has occurred at Turkish airports due to a malfunction in the POLNET system, which is used for passport control.

On November 26, thousands of passengers were unable to pass through passport control, causing long queues at airports, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Departures from Antalya and Istanbul airports were delayed by 30 to 40 minutes, and in some cases, up to an hour. A video footage that has circulated online shows hundreds of passengers arriving in Türkiye waiting for passport control.

Over the loudspeaker, they were informed in the Russian language about the problem. The malfunction has been resolved.

Earlier, heavy rains and strong winds caused significant disruptions in air traffic across major cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya. Flights destined for Istanbul International Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport faced difficulties, with some redirected to other cities such as Izmir.

By Naila Huseynova