Severe storms around Istanbul have severely impacted flight operations in the region, with some planes caught on camera trying to land amid strong winds. In one attempt, a Pegasus Just seconds before landing, the airline's A320neo was forced to abort landing at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
Dozens of flights were canceled at Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen airports during the storm, an incident that raised questions about the safety of attempting landings in such conditions, as flights are often diverted to other airports when the weather is too bad.
Pegasus A320neo Botches land in Istanbul
Parts of Türkiye have been besieged by bad weather in recent days, with Istanbul in particular battered by strong winds and heavy rains. Video footage of Pegasus has emerged Airbus A320neo trying to land at the city's secondary airport, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) ultimately failed in bad weather and initiated a go-around at the last moment. When the plane lands on the runway, Gusty winds severely undermined the stability of its approachcausing it to wobble a few yards above the runway.
At this critical moment, the crew decided to abort the landing and conduct a go-around maneuver rather than attempt to complete the landing. It is unclear at this stage where the Pegasus flight originated or how many passengers were on board at the time, but its A320neo aircraft can accommodate up to 186 passengers. It is unclear whether the A320neo attempted to land at SAW again or whether it was diverted to another airport with more favorable conditions. Simple Flying has contacted Pegasus Airlines and Sabiha Gokcen Airport regarding this matter and will update this story accordingly.
How safe is it to land in high winds?
Many readers have seen videos of previous commercial aircraft landing in adverse conditions. While the pilots who performed these landings were praised for their technical expertise and composure, there are understandable safety concerns with performing such operations in bad weather.
According to Airbus specifications, the A320neo can handle Maximum crosswind speed is 38 knots (including gusts), so any attempted landing with winds exceeding this limit will require an immediate go-around or diversion to a nearby suitable airport. It is worth noting that this limit also depends on other operational factors, including runway surface condition and available runway length, so speeds may sometimes be well below 38 knots.
As you can see from the Pegasus video above, one of the most effective landing techniques during strong winds is the “crab landing.” As the pilot approaches the runway, the aircraft will turn into the wind to help stabilize the aircraft in strong crosswinds. With this maneuver, the aircraft essentially flies sideways, similar to a crab walking sideways. The pilot then needs to correct the aircraft's alignment in the final moments before landing, as the aircraft cannot land safely while it is still in a yaw position.
Pegasus Airlines fleet
Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines is one of the country's largest airlines, with a fleet of more than 120 aircraft, the majority of which are Airbus A320 family jets. It also operates one of the world's youngest commercial fleets, with more than 100 A320neo and A321neo aircraft, all with decades of service life.
As a low-cost airline with an all-economy fleet, Pegasus' A320neo can seat up to 186 passengers, while its larger A321neo can seat up to 239 passengers. The airline currently serves more than 150 destinations across its extensive short- and medium-haul network, covering more than 50 countries in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and will serve more than 37 million passengers in 2024.
Founded in 1990, Pegasus has historically been an all-Boeing 737 operator, operating aircraft from the 737-300 to the 737NG before switching to the A320 family starting in the mid-2010s. Now, only a handful of 737-800 aircraft remain in the Pegasus fleet, which is a customer for the upcoming 737 MAX. Holds a huge order of US$6 billion from Boeing It can accommodate up to 200 MAX aircraft, including 100 fixed 737 MAX 10s and an additional 100 optional aircraft.
