17.04.2025 11:50
Istanbul Airport witnessed a historic moment with the simultaneous takeoff of three planes. Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated, "This will not only be a first for Turkey but also a historic moment for European aviation and global aviation."
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, made statements at the opening of the triple runway at Istanbul Airport. Uraloğlu stated that the triple flight crowns the grandeur of Istanbul Airport and continued his remarks as follows: "We will officially launch the triple runway at 11 o'clock. This will not only be the first for Turkey but also for European aviation, and it will be a historic moment for global aviation. After the USA, Turkey becomes the only country to implement this practice. It will provide our passengers with faster and safer transportation. Our airport will play a more critical role globally."
In 2002, we increased the number of passengers from approximately 34.5 million to over 230 million in 2024. Our target this year is to exceed 240 million. Istanbul Airport, which opened its doors on October 29, 2018, has become the showcase of our country on a global scale. This modern structure, which hosts millions of passengers, has announced Turkey's economic and cultural power to the world. Our airport, which hosted over 52 million passengers in 2019, served 76 million passengers in 2023. In 2024, Istanbul Airport will host 80.1 million passengers, becoming the 2nd in Europe and the 7th in the world. In cargo and freight transportation, it will carry 1.97 million tons of cargo in 2024, surpassing Frankfurt and securing its place at the top in Europe.
"EUROPE'S BUSIEST AIRPORT"
I would like to mention that there was an increase of 190,000 in passenger numbers and 1,500 in aircraft traffic in the first quarter of this year. By conducting an average of 1,464 flights daily, our airport has become the busiest airport in Europe.
We are strengthening this global power with the simultaneous triple independent runway operation. While modern societies build their lives on fast connections, air transportation is one of the most effective means to meet this demand. In this era, where the pulse of global relations beats, airports serve as the heart of the contemporary world.
"IGNITED THE FUSE OF COMPETITION"
Airports operate like the heart of the contemporary world. Our country is at the intersection of the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. With just a 4-hour flight distance, it has a unique position providing access to 67 countries with 1.5 billion people. Our geographical location makes our country extremely suitable to become one of the leading transit centers in aviation.
By initiating liberalization in domestic flights, we ignited the fuse of competition in this area. We increased the number of active airports from 26 in 2002 to 58 with Çukurova Airport. While we could only fly to 60 points in 50 countries in international flights, we now operate flights to 352 points in 132 countries. The Chairman of the Board of Turkish Airlines said 353, meaning we have added one more.
In the last quarter of 2022, we laid the foundations of the project. Every phase was implemented with meticulous planning. We initiated a comprehensive safety analysis study to make the simultaneous triple runway operations feasible in our country. The studies were completed in December 2024. The real-time simulation, which was launched on January 27 for testing in a simulation environment, was completed on April 15.