hfly

There have not even been proper wide body tests completed yet, in fact only two types of aircraft have only completed 2 and 3 cycles respectively to date. There is no catering and more importantly no suitable fleet of trucks in hand to suitably transport the meals should they in fact want to shop them from the existing facility at IST (transporting them 2km vs. Maybe 60km is a big difference) there is also no suitable fleet to move cargo that is just an idea, etc. That in addition to the FAA and TSA inspections which have not taken place.

They cannot make March, that is already all but formally admitted They are being directed to avoid numerous delays, they will push for May, not April, and when they miss this it will be October. Elections will be over in either case

Partially my feeling, but partially from speaking with people in the know and partially simple logic.

They will in fact as said above add a bunch of flights over the summer to make certain people (mostly who do not fly) believe that major operations have started. Very few who be "moved" flights, only those which have a huge amount of frequencies and that they can engineer as O/D.

mafaky

It looks like that the British Civil Aviation Body is going to carry out an inspection at Istanbul Airport, next week Monday (18th). IGA has posted a reminder that: a) There will be no construction carried out in the Terminal (in particular the area called "Bosphorous", which is the airside of the international piers) between 08:00-13:00 hours. Consequently no workman force inside!..., b) Any dangerous/hazardous material or equipment should be strictly kept out of sight and reach (especially those who may be reachable by the passengers).

The link below is in Turkish only.

https://www.airporthaber.com/havacil...re-alarmi.html

Ooops, I'm planning to be there on the 18th, for an domestic ISL-ESB-ISL daily flight and return. I better be there early, as much as possible, and clear thru the second security before 8:00 a.m.

ISTFlyer

According to Sabah ( Turkish newspaper ), the YOTEL in Istanbul Airport would open in 30 Mar instead of 3 Mar which was announced before. However reservations for the airside hotel are still open for stays starting from 3 March but they are not accepting reservations for the landside hotel at the moment.

https://www.sabah.com.tr/ekonomi/201...artta-aciliyor

mafaky

It says that they will manage the airside part of the hotel under YOTELAIR, and the landside part under YOTEL "names". Couldn't really understand why... I also couldn't understand why they allocated more rooms on the landside... Anyway, there's going to be hotel beds' shortage in Istanbul Airport for the beginning. There's only one hotel (shouldn't be a too big one, I guess) in the vicinity of the airport but still some 10 kms or more far away from the terminal. I expect there will be an additionla hotel to be built inside the Corezone of the Airport City (the land just behind the Terminal's Carpark and the surrounding Highway, with an estimated area of 3-4 km2).

ISTFlyer

As the British Authorities would inspect Istanbul Airport ( ISL ) tomorrow, all flights to the EU would be operated from gates with additional screening areas. I don't have any information if it's a coincidence or it's a special application for tomorrow.



These are the flights which would be operated during the inspection.

ddartt

Meanwhile, SQ has cancelled SIN-IST-SIN flights on 1MAR, and claim their SQ392/391 on 3MAR will be to/from ISL:
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/s...t/?id=js1lw1ge

I am actually booked on SQ391 on 3MAR. It will probably be full to the brim.

schrodingerdog

There is some additional screening in all flights to the UK, even for EU-UK flights. Normally, is more passport / visa screening rather than hard physical screening, but probably the inspectors would like to see how the gates with screening areas works, just in case.

ISTFlyer

On 95% of flights from Turkey to the UK. Aviation security officers question the passengers and asks their reason of purpose of visit to the United Kingdom. In addition, cabin bags and passengers are also hand searched and also hand baggages are also subject to machine tests. At the moment, there are no X-Ray devices at these gates with screening areas but as I guess, these gates could be similar to those in Doha Hamad Airport which has all the necessary security devices installed at gates used for UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand flights.

Nothing similar to EU-UK flights which they only check ID's and necessary documentation ( visa, etc... ) for non-EU citizens.

ISTFlyer

As I have experienced yesterday, 18 Feb

- The construction in the western part of the check-in hall is now complete and there is no construction except the TK priority check-in desks, the YOTEL seemed ready and new cafés have opened in the food court at the mezzanine level, between the domestic and international checkpoints.
- There is no fast-track passport and security available at the moment but the waiting times are too short. The e-gates for Turkish citizens are not open yet.
- After passing security, all passengers are asked to turn right; there is was no access to concourses A, B and C as there is a security guard that turns passengers back. Also the western duty-free area is not open at the moment. However, if it isn't changed the A concourse would be opening today ( 19 Feb ).
- At the moment there are no lounges which is opened to service. I was going to check the progress at the lounges which are located in the upper level but in front of each escalator leading to lounges, there were barriers and security guards.
- Concourses D and F, which are used for international flights, are completely ready, except some stores which are still under construction.
- For the moment gates are being told in advance by the information desk agents, after the movement, gates would be announced 1 hour before scheduled departure time for domestic flights and 1 hour 15 minutes - 2 hours before international flights ( depending on destination ).
- Also all seating areas at gates with security screening areas would be locked after the movement as in Atatürk Airport, transfer passengers are sleeping in empty gates due to the lack of seating in the duty free area which could cause a problem if the next flight is to a destination which needs extra security checks.

By the way, I have seen the British Civil Aviation Body team while they were heading to the LGW gate to inspect the boarding process and the extra security measures at the gate of an UK flight.

mafaky

Yesterday, in Turkish (Civil Aviation) Internet Media (particularly in the website "AirportHaber") there evolved some news that the Terminal facilities of Istanbul Airport are not as ready as the operator (IGA Group) claims as they have been. The media openly pointed out a finger to IGA and indicated that they have no right to claim that the big movement's delays cannot be only blamed to the yet unready state of TK's facilities under construction. It is now very clear that the VDGS (Visual Docking Guidance System) is not fully functional. The said system was first procured from Honeywell which failed to perform safely for most of the gates. So Honeywell's system was rejected by IGA and the more well-known SafeGate's hardware and software have been re-procured. And these are presently under supply and installation at the Terminal but this process will still take some time.

I came to know about this deficiency some 48 hrs. before the story was published at AirportHaber, and from a totally different source. So there's reason to believe that these are not fake news.

Now, one could ask: Is VDGS a total necessity and an element for aviation/airport security? The answer has to be "NO"; the planes can park in the correct position with the assistance of ("human") marshellers; but it's a definite loss of prestige to handle it that way in such a big and modern airport.

Obviously some things are not fully ripe at ISL's terminal.

On 26th January, I took the ISL-ESB-ISL daily return flight. NBs were used, in both flights. The plane at ISL's departure was docked to the jetway. But on our return, the plane came to a stop near a gate at the D-Piers (which is the international terminal) and we were bussed to the baggage claim area. When I asked for the reason why, I was told the plane was going to take the ISL-Tblisi flight so that's why it didn't dock at a gate in G-Piers (the domestic terminal). Fair enough!!!

But yesterday (Feb 18th) I took the same flights. The ISL-ESB flight was in a NB and it was docked to the jetway. But the return flight was carried out by a WB (77W) and I was totally sure that plane would also take the ISL-ESB flight. I even checked it with the cabin staff, to be sure. But the 77W parked in between Gates D10 and D12 (no docking with the jetways at D10) and we were gain bussed to the baggage claim area. It was a disappointment for me... (but probably we did much less walking inside the terminal...) Later I found out that the said 77W will be departing for ESB from Gate G1 and Gate G1 is definitely a Bus Gate. So for some reason or the other, they couldn't and cannot dock a WB at the G-Gates (FYI: all gates at G-Pier are double jetway MARS gates: So any WB in E-Category can park and can get serviced thru 1L & 2L doors, simultaneously).

Obviously some things at ISL are not fully ready & operational, yet...

northsideguy

mafaky

Today (Feb. 20th) has passed away but regretfully DHMI (or any other agency or IGA & THY) have made no public announcements. So, as far as the official side is concerned, one can predict that "business is as usual" and the big movement should be taking place on March 1st & 2nd as per previously declared NOTAMs, etc.

Sinter

Not quite official, but it seems to indicate things will be pushed (at least) one more month.Based upon a tweet mind you.

https://onemileatatime.com/istanbul-...nsition-delay/

hfly

ain't going to happen in April......

tartempion

Never be confident....landing IST 27 april at 04.00....still curious where that will be....