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Here’s what it’s like to fly from Turkey to the U.S. during the coronavirus outbreak

For the few people still traveling by air, international flights are a surreal experience

By
April 28, 2020 at 4:20 p.m. EDT
A nearly empty terminal at Istanbul Airport in April. International air travel has been largely grounded because of the novel coronavirus. (Kareem Fahim/The Washington Post)

Turkey suspended all international travel in late March but a few flights have continued, including a commercial route from Istanbul through Minsk, Belarus, to a few European cities, and flights bringing home Turkish citizens from around the world.

Last week, the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul helped arrange several Turkish Airlines flights back to the United States, including Flight 4096, to Washington Dulles International Airport, early in the morning on April 24.