Thousands of travelers across Turkey faced major disruption on January 22, 2026, as a wave of cancellations and delays hit flights operated by Pegasus Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and SunExpress.

A total of 36 flights were canceled and more than 200 services delayed, affecting key hubs in Istanbul, Antalya, İzmir, and Diyarbakır and rippling across regional and international networks at the height of the winter travel season.

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Ripple Effects Across Turkey’s Busiest Hubs

The disruption unfolded across some of Turkey’s most important airports, including Istanbul Airport, Sabiha Gökçen, Antalya, İzmir Adnan Menderes, and Diyarbakır. These hubs collectively handle tens of thousands of passengers daily, and the sudden squeeze on capacity quickly translated into long queues, crowded terminals, and missed connections.

In Istanbul, where Pegasus and Royal Jordanian both operate key regional routes, ground handling teams struggled to reposition aircraft and crews as delays began stacking up through the afternoon. At Sabiha Gökçen, several Pegasus departures to domestic destinations, including Hatay and Antalya, were pushed back from their scheduled times, leaving passengers waiting at gates for updated departure information.

Antalya, a crucial leisure gateway on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, was also hit by a mix of cancellations and diversions. Real-time flight tracking data showed Pegasus services between Antalya and other domestic cities, such as Diyarbakır and Kayseri, either canceled, significantly delayed, or diverted, constraining options for passengers trying to reach or leave the resort city late in the day.

Pegasus Airlines at the Center of Domestic Disruptions

Pegasus Airlines, a major low-cost carrier and one of Turkey’s largest domestic operators, bore a substantial share of the disruption. On the domestic network, delays spread across routes linking Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen with major cities such as Antalya and Hatay, and from Antalya onward to central and southeastern Turkey.

On the Antalya to Diyarbakır corridor, for example, scheduled Pegasus services on January 22 were marked as canceled, leaving passengers in both cities with limited same-day alternatives. On other routes, flights technically remained in operation but experienced significant schedule changes, with departure times pushed back and arrival times sliding into the late evening.

Flight-status services showed similar patterns on other Pegasus routes. A Sabiha Gökçen to Hatay flight on January 22, operated by Pegasus as PC2136, was listed as departing 25 minutes later than scheduled, part of a broader pattern of rolling delays on the carrier’s domestic network. Other services from Istanbul to Antalya were still slated to operate but showed estimated rather than confirmed departure times as operations teams worked to stabilize the schedule.

Royal Jordanian and SunExpress Caught in the Turbulence

While Pegasus dominated the domestic picture, Royal Jordanian and SunExpress were also impacted as the day’s disruption radiated through regional and leisure markets. Royal Jordanian, which links Amman with Istanbul and other points in the region, faced schedule pressure as ground delays in Turkey complicated aircraft turnaround times and connection windows for onward Middle East services.

SunExpress, the joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa and a key player on leisure routes into Antalya and İzmir, encountered its own share of knock-on issues. Published schedules for SunExpress flights out of Antalya to central Anatolian cities such as Kayseri showed diversions and timing changes around January 22, as aircraft were rerouted and departure slots adjusted to cope with congestion and constraints at Antalya’s terminals.

Although the three carriers address different segments of the market, the shared operational environment in Turkey’s busiest airports meant that a disruption affecting one airline quickly complicated gate availability, runway sequencing, and passenger flows for the others, particularly during peak evening waves.

Operational Strain, Weather, and Capacity Constraints

While no single immediate cause was publicly confirmed by the carriers at the time of writing, several interlocking factors appear to have contributed to the unusually high number of cancellations and delays. Winter conditions across parts of Turkey and neighboring regions have put additional pressure on schedules throughout January, with periods of low visibility, rain, and localized storms prompting tighter spacing between departures and arrivals.

Operational data from tracking platforms on January 22 showed a series of late-running flights in the hours leading up to the main disruption window. When early services depart behind schedule, the effect often cascades throughout the day, as crews reach duty-time limits and aircraft miss their optimal maintenance or refueling windows. This can force airlines to consolidate services, cancel lower-demand rotations, or divert aircraft to airports with more manageable traffic levels.

At major hubs like Istanbul and Antalya, capacity constraints also play a role. Even brief periods of runway or taxiway congestion can trigger holding patterns for inbound aircraft and delays in departing flights. With three major carriers vying for slots and gate space, small bottlenecks can quickly turn into widespread schedule chaos, especially during the busy evening peak when domestic and international banks converge.

Passengers Stranded, Rebooked, and Rerouted

For travelers caught in Thursday’s disruption, the experience varied widely depending on route, ticket type, and airline. At Istanbul’s airports, passengers reported long lines at customer service desks as they sought rebookings on later flights or on alternative carriers. With multiple airlines facing simultaneous problems, options to switch flights were more limited than on a typical day.

Domestic passengers traveling between cities such as Antalya, Diyarbakır, Hatay, and Kayseri encountered a mix of cancellations and extensive delays. In some instances, evening flights were diverted or delayed by more than an hour, forcing some travelers to rearrange hotel stays or overnight plans at short notice. Others chose to abandon air travel altogether, opting instead for intercity buses or private transport where practical.

International travelers transiting through Istanbul to or from Royal Jordanian and SunExpress flights faced additional complexity. Missed connections in Istanbul created problems for passengers heading onward to the Middle East or Europe, with some travelers needing overnight accommodation or extended layovers. Multi-ticket itineraries, in particular, left some passengers navigating compensation and rebooking on their own, rather than through a single airline’s protection policies.

How the Disruption Hit Istanbul, Antalya, İzmir, and Diyarbakır

Istanbul, Turkey’s primary aviation gateway, unsurprisingly felt the greatest immediate impact. With Pegasus operating from Sabiha Gökçen and Royal Jordanian using Istanbul’s main international airport for key Middle Eastern routes, delays on ground operations there had a domino effect that stretched across domestic and regional networks. Gate changes, later-than-expected boarding times, and rolling departure updates became commonplace by late afternoon.

In Antalya, the consequences were most visible in the form of altered or canceled flights to secondary Turkish cities and diversions to manage air traffic flow and crew positioning. Antalya’s dual role as both a domestic connector and an international holiday hub meant that even small shifts in timing had outsized effects on tour groups, seasonal workers, and independent travelers moving between resorts and their home cities.

İzmir Adnan Menderes, while not as heavily affected as Istanbul or Antalya in absolute numbers, still saw delays on key domestic links, particularly on flights feeding into Istanbul’s onward networks. For passengers originating in İzmir, this meant increased risk of missed connections and tight transfer windows, especially on itineraries involving Royal Jordanian’s Middle East services or SunExpress’s leisure flights.

Diyarbakır, an important gateway for southeastern Turkey, felt the impact most acutely through cancellations on Pegasus services linking it to Antalya and other western cities. With fewer alternative carriers operating on these routes, options for same-day rebooking were relatively scarce, leading some passengers to face extended delays before being able to continue their journeys.

Airline Responses and Passenger Rights

As the day’s disruption unfolded, affected carriers moved to update passengers via airport displays, mobile applications, and social media channels. Pegasus and SunExpress both urged travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to allow additional time for check-in and security. Royal Jordanian encouraged passengers to stay in contact with its call centers and local ticket offices for rebooking and assistance.

Under Turkish and broader regional air travel regulations, passengers facing cancellations or long delays may be entitled to compensation or support, depending on the cause of the disruption and the specific terms of carriage. This support can include meal vouchers, hotel accommodation in cases of overnight delays, and rebooking on the next available flight. Travelers on code-share or multi-airline itineraries, however, often encounter more complex arrangements when seeking compensation or rerouting, particularly where responsibility is shared between carriers.

Consumer advocates in Turkey and across Europe frequently remind passengers to document their experiences by keeping boarding passes, booking confirmations, and any written communication from airlines. This documentation can be crucial for filing claims after the fact, especially when operational reasons, weather, and air traffic control issues intersect, as they appear to have done in Thursday’s events.

What Travelers Should Do Next

For travelers with upcoming flights on Pegasus, Royal Jordanian, or SunExpress in the next several days, experts recommend closely monitoring flight status and being prepared for residual disruptions as airlines work to restore normal operations. Backlogs often take time to clear, particularly when aircraft and crew have been displaced from their usual bases by diversions or last-minute cancellations.

Passengers are advised to verify their contact information within airline booking systems to ensure they receive text messages or email alerts about schedule changes. Those with tight connections, whether within Turkey or onward to international destinations, may wish to consider requesting earlier feeder flights where possible or factoring in longer layover times to reduce the risk of missing onward journeys.

Travelers already affected by Thursday’s cancellations and long delays should consult airline policies on refunds and compensation, as well as any additional protections afforded by credit card travel insurance or standalone policies. Many insurers require prompt notification and thorough documentation, so timely action can improve the chances of recovering some costs tied to hotels, meals, and replacement transport arrangements.