During its first year of operation, the new Istanbul Airport served an average of 210,000 passengers per day, according to new statistics released by the airport’s operating authority. The new airport first opened October 29, 2018, and it opened to full capacity on April 6, 2019. Since it first opened the airport has made a significant contribution to Turkey’s economy, officials said.
During its first year of operation the airport has moved 41,088,868 passengers, 256,521 flights, 28,017,784 pieces of luggage and 855,259 tons of cargo. Additionally, eight international airlines have started flying from the airport for the first time.
A total of 70 airlines take off from the airport, including eight international airlines, which have started flying from the airport for the first time since reaching full capacity: Ethiopian Airlines, Nouvelair, Indigo, Air Albania, Sichuan Airlines, China Southern, Tassili Airlines and UR Airlines. In addition, Transavia.com France is scheduled to start flight operations in October. Once Istanbul Airport reached full capacity, airline companies from different regions, including Europe, Middle East, Africa and east Asia, doubled their flight frequency.
Additionally, the airport’s duty-free areas have reached 90 percent occupancy, selling global brands such as Bvlgari, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Celine, Fendi, Hermes, and Salvatore Ferragamo. It is also home to the world’s largest terminal hotel, Yotel, which has hosted 55,000 guests to date and which has achieved a 100 percent occupancy rate.
Finally, over 5,000 members have used the iGA Pass loyalty program, which provides access to the iGA Lounge and meet and greet services.
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