A British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport set to land in Istanbul turned back before landing after a suicide attack explosion left 35 dead and 140 injured, with the toll rising.
The BA 680 from the west London airport was due to land at 11.40pm local time at Ataturk Airport, but returned to Gatwick Airport in the wake of the blasts.
Authorities have said three suicide bombers were involved in the attack, according to Turkish media.
7.05am and 10.20am flights from Heathrow to Ataturk have also been cancelled, according to the British Airways website.
Foreign Office officials say they are “urgently seeking further information” following the attack at the world's eleventh busiest airport.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in close contact with authorities in Istanbul and urgently seeking further information following an incident at Ataturk airport.
“Our staff in Istanbul and London stand ready to support any British nationals affected.”
Several flights due to land at Ataturk have been redirected to Gatwick Airport, including flights from LA and Russia.
A spokesperson for Turkish Airlines said: "Due to the incident that has taken place, passengers who have bookings on the flights from and to Istanbul Ataturk Airport between 28 jun- 05 jul 2016, provided that they submit their request until 31 jul 2016, will get all re-booking and re-routing made without any charge or make refund requests on unused tickets or partially used tickets."
The hashtag #prayforturkey has already began to sweep across social media as people pay their respects following the atrocious events.
West Londoners have also expressed their shock on Twitter, with one user writing: "Such a sad world we live in #prayforturkey."
