Transportation Minister Uraloğlu: Crowning the Magnificence of Istanbul Airport

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu's speeches highlighted the following: We are experiencing the pride and happiness of starting the 'Simultaneous Triple Independent Runway Operations' at Istanbul Airport now. Transportation is not only about moving from one point to another, but also about using time in the most efficient way possible. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Uraloğlu: This will not only be a first for Turkey but will also be a historic moment in global aviation beyond being a first for European aviation. We are proud because Turkey is the only country that implements this practice after the USA. Modern societies build their lives on speed and connectivity, and air transport stands out as one of the most impressive tools to meet this demand. Aircraft not only shorten distances; they build invisible bridges between societies and become a force that ignites economic development. With this vision, we have promoted competition by opening our aviation sector to private companies since 2002 and initiated a period of rapid growth in aviation. Our Istanbul Airport, opened as a magnificent vision project on October 29, 2018, has been the showcase of our country on the global stage since its opening day. We have increased our active airport count from 26 in 2002 to 58 by opening our latest airport, Cukurova International Airport. While flights were made to 60 destinations in 50 countries on international routes, we increased it to 352 destinations in 132 countries. We have increased our passenger count from approximately 34.5 million in 2002 to over 230 million by 2024 for domestic and international flights. With an annual passenger capacity of 90 million, we have positioned Turkey at the top of global aviation. According to Eurocontrol's report dated April 16, 2025, Istanbul Airport became the busiest airport in Europe with an average of 1,464 flights per day from April 7-13, 2025. These increasing statistics and broken records demonstrate the strength and potential of our airport. In its first year after opening in 2019, the airport welcomed over 52 million passengers; in 2023, it served over 76 million passengers. In the 2024 report published by the Airports Council International Europe, Istanbul Airport ranked 2nd in Europe and 7th worldwide in the Major Airports category serving over 40 million passengers annually.