No single passenger has landed at this airport for 6 years! A CHP deputy took a binocular and searched for planes in the sky.

CHP Balıkesir Deputy Serkan Sarı criticized the Balıkesir Central Airport, which has been idle for about 6 years. CHP member Serkan Sarı, who was waiting for a "passenger plane" in front of Balıkesir Central Airport with his binoculars, said, "We came with binoculars today to see if we can't see with the naked eye. We still can't see anything. The expenses of this airport, which has income, are 169 million TL, which means that the expenses of this airport, which has a million lira income, are 169 times its income. I call on the Minister, you must make this airport operational. If you have made this investment, you must come and operate this airport. If airport companies, airlines decide on this, let the airlines do it instead of the Ministry."

CHP Balıkesir Deputy Serkan Sarı expressed his reaction to the fact that not a single passenger plane has landed at Balıkesir Central Airport for 6 years since its opening. CHP member Sarı, who previously prepared a report on the airport and shared it with the public, this time "searched for a passenger plane" in the Balıkesir skies with his binoculars. Saying "We still can't see anything. We still haven't received a response to our calls," CHP deputy Serkan Sarı said the following:

"NOT A SINGLE PLANE HAS LANDED, THE STAFF HAS INCREASED"

"We called on our Minister of Transportation. We have made our call in every way, with parliamentary questions, statements in the Assembly, press releases, to get the Minister to land a plane at this airport, which has been completed and has been operational since 2019. Today, we are coming to see if the Minister is doing something and we are not seeing it, so we came with our binoculars. Let's see what is being done at this airport, which has not received a single scheduled flight despite 5.5 years passing since the start of operations, which started with 46 personnel and now has 78 personnel. We couldn't see it with our own eyes. We looked through our binoculars and still couldn't see anything.

"EXPENSES ARE 169 TIMES THE INCOME"

The expenses of this airport, which has income, are 169 million TL, which means that the expenses of this airport, which has a million lira income, are 169 times its income. We call on the Minister of Transportation from here. We are trying to explain our problem. I don't know if we are speaking in Turkish and not being understood, if we need to make statements in different languages, we can do that too, but the investment of the people of Balıkesir must be compensated."

"WHOSE MIND DID YOU USE TO MAKE THIS INVESTMENT?"

Sarı stated that Balıkesir Central Airport is an investment worth 550 million lira today and said the following: "The answer given to our parliamentary question is that airline companies do not find it necessary, profitable to land planes here. Well, where was your mind when you were building this airport? Whose mind did you use to make this investment, who made this calculation? Who will pay the price for this recklessness? The cost of your reckless investments is more than 550 million, and the investment cost of this place is more than 550 million and there are expenses close to 169 million. The expenses of this airport, which unfortunately incurs losses every year, are expected to reach 150 million lira this year, which was 78 million lira last year. Unfortunately, you cannot manage to land a single scheduled flight at this airport that incurs losses every year.

"YOU MUST MAKE THIS AIRPORT OPERATIONAL"

I call on the Minister, you must make this airport operational. If you have made this investment, you must come and operate this airport. If airport companies, airlines decide on this, let the airlines do it instead of the Ministry. Then, as long as you do not fulfill your duty and responsibility, I will continue to defend the rights of the people of Balıkesir. These calls of mine will continue. Either a plane will land at this airport or you will do what is necessary. The people of Balıkesir want this investment to become operational, or if you cannot operate this investment, let those responsible come out and make a statement. The President came here and made a statement, saying "congratulations"; the Minister of Transportation came and made a statement, saying "congratulations". 6 Ministers of Transportation made statements about this place. The AKP deputies of the region made statements. Everyone spoke, everyone spoke, but we couldn't see a single action. I call on the President and the Minister from here; you must make this investment in Balıkesir operational, I invite you to duty."