Syrians devastated at missing Assad downfall celebrations after flights to Aleppo cancelled

Hundreds of Syrians hoping to return to their home country from Europe and Turkey to mark a year since the fall of the Assad regime were devastated after flight cancellations left them stranded.

Heavy fog at Aleppo International Airport prevented at least three planes from Turkey landing in the northern Syrian hub, as festivities were held across the country to mark the December 8 anniversary of former president Bashar Al Assad’s fall from power.

A flight operated by Ajet, the low-cost wing of Turkish flag carrier Turkish Airlines, circled Aleppo airport on Sunday before being diverted to the south-eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep. It sat on the tarmac for three hours before returning to Istanbul. Ground staff and airline crew said poor visibility meant landing in Aleppo was impossible.

Syrians wait at Istanbul Airport after their flights were cancelled. Lizzie Porter / The National

On Monday morning, Turkish Airlines and Ajet cancelled more flights from Istanbul to Aleppo due to poor weather. That left passengers in limbo in Turkey for a second day in a row, as their chances of reaching Syria to mark the anniversary faded.

“I feel so distressed by missing this day,” Mohammed Al Ahmad, who has lived in Turkey for the past 13 years, told The National as he left Istanbul airport on Monday. “I’d been planning for two months to go to Syria on December 7, to celebrate the December 8 anniversary there.”

Mr Al Ahmad, 31, was unable to attend either the festivities organised by Syrians in Istanbul or those in his home country. “We still don't know if we'll be able to come back tomorrow, maybe they'll postpone us again until the day after that,” he added.

Images of people gathering in Aleppo’s main public square and around its ancient citadel circulated on social media, worsening the feeling of absence for Syrians stuck abroad due to the poor weather.

Passengers had heated conversations with Turkish cabin crew and ground staff, demanding to know why the flights had been diverted and cancelled. Some passengers translated announcements in Turkish and English to Arabic as confusion increased.

Tensions were high after Syrians were diverted back to Istanbul because of