Earthquake in Türkiye has put a section of tourists and airlines in the Sultanate of Oman in a fix, because pre-booked tickets have to be rescheduled or cancelled.
There have been advisories for the travellers to follow the guidelines and check status with travel operators before travelling.
Travel industry sources mentioned that the earthquake did not affect places like Istanbul and Ankara and the airports operated normally.
“With tickets booked for a Türkiye tour next week, I have been worried about travelling to Istanbul for a week's tour. Even though my agent told me those places are safe and unaffected by the earthquake, flights operating normal, I am still worried,” said Hilal Ahmed.
He added, “Even though my Türkiye destinations are safe, what counts now is my individual decision on to go this time around for fun or not. At the same time, tourist visits would be helping the country’s local economy.”
Replying to a query, a source in SalamAir said, “Air travel is normal to Türkiye cities unaffected by the quake, but we urge our customers to follow advisories from travel operators and local authorities to avoid any problems.”
"Airlines will have their own rules on refunds in case of cancellations or change of dates. It is good to have complete details of their policies before making any decision."
As per reports, three airports - Adana Sakirpasa Airport (ADA), Hatay Airport (HTY) Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport (GZT) -- have been closed for various reasons including damage to the infrastructure.
Several governments and travel operators have advised their citizens to stay away from the affected areas as getting there and getting out of there will be difficult.
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