26.11.2025 15:17
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, announced that the Free Route Airspace (FRA) application, which is a significant reform in aviation, will be implemented in Turkish airspace starting from tonight. Furthermore, Minister Uraloğlu stated that comprehensive studies for the transition to FRA in Turkey were initiated by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ) in 2019.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that they will implement another critical step in Turkish aviation history with DHMI. Minister Uraloğlu stated, "The Free Route Airspace (FRA) application, which is a significant reform in aviation, will be used in our country's airspace starting from tonight under the coordination of DHMI. FRA allows aircraft to plan flights freely without adhering to classical flight routes between designated entry and exit points; it will provide significant gains in both economic and environmental areas, such as reduced flight times, fuel savings, and decreased carbon emissions," he said.
Minister Uraloğlu noted that comprehensive studies for the transition to FRA in Turkey were initiated by DHMI in 2019, stating, "During this process, we worked in many areas to develop new operational methods for more secure and faster management of traffic flow through airspace regulations. We completed all necessary processes for FRA by maturing procedures in line with international standards and requirements," he explained.
"REAL-TIME SIMULATIONS WERE CONDUCTED"
Minister Uraloğlu also stated that under the leadership of DHMI, real-time simulations were conducted at the Eurocontrol Innovation Center with the participation of approximately 400 air traffic controllers during the January-May 2022 period as part of an agreement with Eurocontrol. Minister Uraloğlu emphasized the importance of the testing process, saying, "This process ensured the safe implementation of new regulations, the adaptation of controllers to the system, and the successful completion of operational safety analyses," he said.
"AIRCRAFT WILL BE ABLE TO PREFER SHORTER ROUTES"
Following the successful simulations, Minister Uraloğlu indicated that the FRA application in Turkish airspace will be initiated by DHMI at levels FL305 and above starting tonight, stating, "The application will be conducted during the winter period of 2025-2026 between local hours 23:00-05:00 at night. From the winter period of 2026-2027 onwards, we aim to make it fully operational on a 24-hour basis. With the implementation of the system, aircraft will be able to prefer shorter and more efficient routes. Thus, significant gains such as reduced flight times, fuel consumption savings, decreased carbon emissions, and minimized environmental impact will be achieved," he stated.
"THE WAY FOR IMPLEMENTATION AT LOWER ALTITUDES WILL BE OPENED"
Minister Uraloğlu expressed that based on the feedback obtained from the first phase of the application, they will consider lowering the lower limit of FL305 to levels similar to examples in Europe. Minister Uraloğlu stated, "In this context, if the Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) studies conducted in our country can be expanded to cover the 10,000 feet-FL285 range, it will also pave the way for the implementation of FRA at lower altitudes. The widespread use of free route in domestic flights in Turkey, the creation of more suitable routes in inter-airport flights, the further reduction of flight times, and the increase in fuel savings will be possible," he evaluated.