Full passenger operations at New Istanbul airport to start on 3 March 2019

On 3 March 2019, the airport will become fully operational, replacing the current Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which will be closed for scheduled passenger flights. “We are all ready for the occasion,”stresses Kadri Samsunlu, Chief Executive Officer of İGA Airport Operations.

On 29 October 2018, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opened the new Istanbul Airport with a magnificent ceremony. After just 42 months of construction time, the airport which is destined to be the biggest airport in the world, became operational.

“As a major hub at the intersection of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, we will bring the world closer together,” Samsunlu pointed out. “With an initial capacity to serve 90 million people which will be expanded to 200 million once all phases are completed, Istanbul Airport will be the biggest airport in the world.” Atlanta Airport is currently the busiest airport serving the highest number of passengers with 104 million passengers per year. Istanbul Airport also overrides its competitors with its size. The airport is 3.5 times as big as Beijing Airport, which has an area of 23 million square meters. “Our challenge is to be the biggest and the best,” Samsunlu said.