Türkiye's aviation expansion drives global competitiveness: Minister

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Türkiye's expanding aviation infrastructure has significantly enhanced the country's global competitiveness, positioning it as a major gateway for international trade and connectivity. Speaking on the sidelines of the ACI World Airport Experience Summit in Istanbul, Uraloglu noted that the country's strong airport network has driven its emergence as a key player in global trade over the past 24 years.

Europe's busiest air hub

Uraloglu stated that Türkiye's total passenger count reached a record 247 million last year, elevating the country to the position of third-largest aviation market in Europe and seventh-largest worldwide. He said IGA Istanbul Airport has driven this success with an average of 1,665 daily flights, securing its status as Europe's busiest air hub while maintaining connections with 356 global destinations across 133 countries.

The minister noted that the airport carried 290,287 passengers aboard 1,739 flights on August 16, marking a new record for daily flights and passengers in both Türkiye and Europe. "Our modern airport infrastructure, extending nationwide with IGA Istanbul Airport at the forefront, is our country's vision and claim to regional leadership," he said, adding that this record was subsequently broken on August 30 with 1,787 flights.

Network expansion continues

Uraloglu stated that Türkiye rose to sixth place among European countries with the highest traffic volume, averaging 4,400 flights per day and surpassing Greece, Poland, the Netherlands and Portugal. "We opened an average of 1.4 airports per year and we won't stop at this number – we will soon increase the number of airports from 58 to 60," he said, noting that the country maintains air transport deals with 175 countries.

He added that Türkiye has incorporated 296 new international destinations into its network over the past two decades. The minister said the fourth main runway of IGA Istanbul Airport has reached its final construction stage and will open following technical testing to accommodate anticipated growth.

Sustainability and summit context

Uraloglu noted that most Turkish air hubs hold carbon accreditation and utilize a newly implemented free-route airspace system to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. The ACI World Airport Experience Summit kicked off on August 31 and will conclude on Friday, bringing together top aviation executives from across the world to discuss the sector's future, according to the event organizers.