Mucahit Enes Sevinc and Emir Yildirim
02 September 2026•Update: 02 September 2026
Türkiye’s expanding aviation infrastructure has been a key driver of the country’s global competitiveness, as modern aviation hubs serve as gateways integrating economies and promoting international trade, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told Anadolu.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ACI World Airport Experience Summit held in Istanbul, Uraloglu stated that Türkiye’s strong airport network has helped make the country a key player in global trade over the past 24 years, thanks in part to its geographical location.
“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, citing the country’s connections with 356 global flight destinations across 133 countries.
Uraloglu stated that Türkiye’s total passenger count reached a record 247 million last year, elevating its position to the third-largest aviation market in Europe and the seventh-largest worldwide, with air traffic at IGA Istanbul Airport driving the success, boasting an average of 1,665 daily flights and its position as Europe’s busiest air hub.
“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. “We now have air transport deals with 175 countries and added 296 new international destinations to our network in 20 years.”
He noted that the air hub carried 290,287 passengers aboard 1,739 flights on Aug. 16, marking a new record for daily flights and passengers in Türkiye and Europe, while this record was broken on Aug. 30 with 1,787 flights.
He said IGA Istanbul Airport also renewed its highest Level 5 accreditation under ACI World.
Uraloglu stated that Türkiye rose to sixth place among European countries with the highest traffic volume, averaging 4,400 flights per day, surpassing Greece, Poland, the Netherlands and Portugal.
He said the fourth main runway of IGA Istanbul Airport reached its final stage of construction and is expected to open for operations after technical testing to accommodate growth.
He added that most Turkish air hubs hold carbon accreditation and use a newly implemented free-route airspace system to reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
The ACI World Airport Experience Summit kicked off on Aug. 31 and will conclude on Friday, bringing together top aviation executives from across the world to discuss the sector’s future. It is hosted by Istanbul Airport operator IGA and organized by Airports Council International World.
