Turkey's 58th airport is opening on Saturday! It will serve 5 million people.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, stated in a written statement that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has opened several major transportation projects since the beginning of the year, including the last section of the Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport Metro Line, the Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme Rail System Line, the Bakırköy Sahil Kirazlı Metro, the Kocaeli City Hospital Tram Line, the Arnavutköy-Istanbul Airport Metro, and the Yusufeli Central Viaduct. He also mentioned that Turkey's first domestic and national communication satellite, TÜRKSAT 6A, was successfully launched into space.

Uraloğlu continued his statement as follows: "Now, we will open the Çukurova International Airport, which has become the 58th airport in our country's history, with the presence of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on August 10th at 15:00. The number of domestic and international passengers, which was 34.5 million in 2002, exceeded 214 million by the end of 2023, and an airplane passed through Turkish skies approximately every 15 seconds. As of the end of July this year, within the first 7 months, the number of passengers traveling by air reached 129,738,772. We expect to carry over 230 million passengers by the end of the year. Since 2002, we have increased the number of active airports from 26 to 58 with the opening of the Çukurova International Airport."

"A SPECTACULAR WORK REFLECTING THE REGION'S LOCAL CULTURE"

Uraloğlu stated that within the scope of the 2053 targets, they will increase the number of active airports to 61 with the ongoing construction of the Bayburt-Gümüşhane and Yozgat airports, as well as the planned construction of the Karaman Airport. He said, "Our Çukurova International Airport, which is the new carrier of the Turkish flag and our new gateway to the world, has become a magnificent work that reflects the local culture of the Çukurova region with its air control tower designed in the form of a tree, its orange color inspired by the unique taste of Çukurova's citrus fruits, and its architecture adorned with cotton motifs, which is the symbol of the region, bringing together agriculture and technology."

"WILL SERVE MORE THAN 5 MILLION CITIZENS"

Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that the Çukurova International Airport will meet all the air transportation needs of the region with its annual capacity of 8 million passengers, 110,000 square meters of terminal area, and the main runway with a length of 3,500 meters and a body width of 60 meters, which can accommodate the widest-bodied aircraft. He said, "With its proximity to Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye, and Niğde, it will serve more than 5 million citizens living in these cities and will be one of the most important gateways for Turkey to the Middle Eastern countries. It will also contribute to the employment of approximately 3,000 people directly and indirectly in the region and throughout the country."