ISTFlyer

Nothing is precise for your travel date. Even though the ticket says "Atatürk Airport" your flights could also arrive and depart to "Istanbul Airport". The scheduled date for movement, at least for now on, is 5-6 April 2019

Ismilee

Ismilee

OK so that covers my flight which will now have to be changed :-( Even if the date changes again, I can't wait until the new date is announced in a month. I assume the TK staff will now be informed of these date and be willing to change my ticket ? Or will I be able to just cancel it, do you think?

ISTFlyer

If your flight would be cancelled, the TK staff would inform you. However, they are not the best at reaching their passengers. However, if there should be a risky situation at a closer date to the planned movement operations, and they decide to postpone the opening again, TK won't cancel your flights and obviously, they won't accept any changes. So, unless TK cancels your flight 2-3 days before your flight or 15 days before your flight ( only for EU departures ), you won't be applicable for any compensation or any free changes/rebooking to another airline or date, nor a free cancellation.

mafaky

Pls. have a look at:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30823294-post400.html

Of course, this is not only TK's headache. Each and every airline operating from ISL will need to have its own Ops-Center, though these will be located in much smaller quarters inside the Terminal (in my understanding).

BobFF68

After 31st March elections in TK will be over, after that they will be finally free to postpone even at the end of 2019 without too many political implications, thus probably further news will arrive on April 1st (definitely the proper date ) Am I too cynical?

TK J was always one of the options I wanted to try for my regular SE Asia to Europe trips, due also to this airport saga since second half of last year, I then ever discarded it. By the way I keep following in this story...

mafaky

This is a yet unconfirmed rumor, posted in a.netters Forum. I happen to know the poster as a reliable source, on these issues (so far, everything he said or predicted came out true). I am copying his post, below, without changing anything:

Merlin666

We are going April 2 ZRH - IST -BOS - YYZ - YQR. I hope this will not be affected by the move.

ISTFlyer

As mafaky had stated in the past month,

It is true that the VDGS system for wide-body aircrafts are not working properly at the moment except for gate G2. Last Friday, the Ankara wide-body flight had departed from that specific gate and even though all domestic jetways permit widebodies to park, gate G2 or a remote stand had been utilized for all widebody operations from ISL. This might seem as an issue also triggering the postponement as all these VDGS systems (are being/would be) updated for a while.

Ismilee

This is true...I called TK yesterday about my flight connecting through Istanbul on April 5, and they state that they have nothing in their system about that being the big moving date. They will not change the ticket, and they profess to have no knowledge of the situation. This is a terrible way to run a business, having passengers wait until the last minute (April 1 or April 2) to see if the flight will go, after paying a lot of money for a flight for a date with no flexibility.

ISTFlyer

Today, the Tbilisi flight, TK 1136 would depart from gate E3. This would be the first flight where E gates would be used.

mafaky

The mist over the problematic Honeywell origin VDGS issue is partly lifted. This is the system defined as A-VDGS ("A" stands for "Advanced"), but possibly the very latest "A" version developed by Honeywell. The contract was signed around March 2017, for 114 systems. However, the said Honeywell's "last version" had not been installed in any airport, previously. So INA has been the guinea pig", in this case... Once the plane comes to full halt, the jetway (aerobridge) starts to move and docks on the plan's door(s); it's a misuse to say "the plane docks on the jetway"! These are, essentially laser beam pointing and measuring systems, that visually guide the pilot for its final parking position after starting to move on the centerline... One laser beam is pointed at the correct stopping point on the apron (depending on the incoming aircraft) and the other beam is pointed to the nose of the aircraft. The point on the apron is used as a reference point. In this case, the laser beams shot at the incoming aircraft always failed to "recognise" or "identify" the particular plane. They tried to solve the problem for more than 12 months, without any promising success. So at the end, IGA was forced to quit with Honeywell and made a new contract with the Belgian-Sweedish JV Company named SafeGate. Now gradually SafeGate hardware are being installed at the gates. So far, G-Gates (the domestic pier) have been fitted out, completely.

mafaky

Now the very recent rumors (based on THY CEO İlker Avcı's comments of the day before), this big bang movement may take 10-12 days rather than the 45 hours anticipated as per with the NOTAM already issues (and which is still in effect). I don't know how but they seem to start bigger (but not full) operations at ISL starting 7th and increase daily slots slowly, day by day. But two issues remain:
a) How can TK continue operations at both airports, esp. when you consider transfer pax and also the need of keeping considerable staff and services at both airports for a duration of say 2 weeks for this kind of transition,
b) How can they handle the "clashing airspaces" for both airports during this 2-week like transition.
c) Or can it be that they will force the foreign airlines (esp. the ones that are not Star Alliance members; which have minimum domestic connections with TK...) to move out and settle at ISL first and then make a big-bang like move for TK and Star Alliance airlines in a way similar to that anticipated in the NOTAM.

It's all becoming kind of interesting mystery???

mafaky

Sorry that I have limited time tonight. Pls. find my message (regretfully only in Turkish) regarding the new THY Operations Center at Istanbul Airport, still under construction.

Pls. refer to the link below:

?stanbul Havaliman? aç?ld? (üçüncü havaliman? 3. havaalan?)

Pls. don't ask me where this facility is located (I can only tell that it is nowhere near to the big Terminal), when it can be made totally operational (my guess, minimum 2-3 months, in the future...) and what will TK do in its absence for carrying on their ops, especially starting April 7th.

mafaky

On 18th February, myself and ISTFlyer travelled to ISL together, for our separate flights. On that same day a team from English Civil Aviation Authority (not EASA!!!) was inspecting ISL. The results of this inspection is now revealed unofficially (certainly not thru IGA): The British found out 26 hickups at ISL that are prohibitive that UK registered aircraft and crews should fly to ISL, stay on ground at ISL and possibly even the local BA station crew to be stationed at ISL. This means, until these mishaps are rectified, BA may not fly to ISL... No further info, I can provide for the moment.