Istanbul New Airport is one of the most modern and largest airports in the world, situated northwest of the city in the district of Arnavutköy. The airport was officially opened by the Turkish president Erdogan on 29 October 2018, the national day in Turkey. In the weekend of 6 April 2019 it replaced Istanbul Atatürk Airport as the primary passenger airport serving Istanbul.
The airport is the second largest in the world (potentially) after Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. Today, the airport can handle 90 million passengers per year. In the future, Istanbul New Airport will be able to handle 200 million passengers per year. The national flag carrier Turkish Airlines is responsible for 80% of the total number of flights at Istanbul Airport.
Istanbul New Airport is located on the European side of Istanbul, the second airport of the city Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport is located on the Asian side.
Providing service in Istanbul, the intersection of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the Istanbul Airport serves as one of the world's most significant aviation hubs at a strategic geographical position connecting continents. In the past decade, the international air transportation sector expanded 5.6% worldwide, while Turkey achieved a growth of 14%. Istanbul, which has become one of the world's most prominent flight and transfer hubs, has the leading role in these growth figures. According to the data of Turkish Ministry of Culture, in 2017, the number of foreign tourists arriving at Istanbul increased 17.8%, compared to the previous year. In 2018, the same increasing rate seems to be continued; therefore the growth trend is expected to be sustained.
Istanbul: the Fastest Growing Aviation Hub in Europe
According to the report published by Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), in February 2018, Istanbul Atatürk Airport was among the top 5 airports that increased its number of passengers in Europe with a rate of 17.7%. The second position among the Group 1 category airports in terms of the highest increase in passenger traffic was secured by Sabiha Gökçen, following Istanbul Atatürk, with an increase of 15.5%.
According to the 2018 Airport Industry Connectivity Report of ACI, Istanbul Atatürk Airport ranked the 5th among the European airports in terms of direct connectivity and flight volume. Furthermore, the report in question lists Atatürk Airport in the 4th position among both the top performers in direct connectivity and in terms of the best hub connectivity in Europe over the last decade.
The Istanbul Airport strengthens Istanbul, the center of a vast geography from the East to the West, with its extremely high capacity, various kinds of facilities and sound infrastructure opportunities. Having a strategic location considering the transfer routes, Istanbul acts as an attractive hub for transit flights between the USA and Europe, as well as the Middle East, Central Asia and North India.
Today, the Istanbul Airport launches flights to a total of 146 destinations at various continents within 3 hours connecting 120+ countries, 60+ capital cities, 250+ international and 50 domestic destinations. When the airport is put into operation in full capacity, the number of flight destinations will exceed 350.
A Center of Attraction in Air Cargo Transportation
Istanbul is a transfer hub not only for passenger transportation but also for air cargo transportation between Asia and Europe. The Istanbul Airport is an outstanding hub for air cargo transportation. The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of cargo operations reached a significant rate of 18.7% between 2009 and 2017. The Istanbul Airport also serves a major hub for air cargo transportation.
Route Development
The Fastest Growing Aviation Hub in Europe
Today, the Istanbul Airport launches flights to a total of 146 destinations at various continents within 3 hours connecting 120+ countries, 60+ capital cities, 250+ international and 50 domestic destinations,. When the airport is put into operation in full capacity, the number of flight destinations is expected to exceed 350.
The Istanbul Airport makes Istanbul, the centre of a vast geography from the East to the West, a more attractive aviation and transfer hub with its extremely high capacity, various types of facilities and sound infrastructure. Having a strategic position, the airport acts as a significant hub for transit flights over Istanbul for the USA and Europe, as well as the Middle East, Central Asia and North India.
Istanbul: The Fastest Growing Aviation Hub in Europe
According to the 2018 Airport Hub Connectivity Report published by Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), Turkey has expanded its flight network 591 percent in the last decade and been listed as the number 1 in Europe in terms of growth rate and increased its rank to 7 in the global list.
High Passenger Numbers and Potential
According to the same report, Istanbul Atatürk Airport was among the top 5 airports in Europe that increased its number of passengers 17.7% in February 2018.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture, the number of foreign tourists arriving at Istanbul increased 17.8% in 2017, compared to the previous year. In 2018, the same increasing rate seems to be continued; accordingly, the growth trend is expected to be sustained.
In 2017, the population of Istanbul was 15,029,231 according to the official records. In 2016, the number of international passengers arriving at Istanbul was 9,203,987; whilst in 2017, this figure reached 10,840,595 with an increase of 17.8%.