It’s a ‘monument to victory’ mentioned President Erdogan, ‘our most important brand, and a beautiful jewel between two seas’ – of course, he was talking about the new three Terminal Airport complex which has partially just opened its doors in Istanbul, on the 95th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkey.
The $11bn facility located on the shores of the Black sea, is just one of several projects Erdogan is planning, which is another giant leap forward for the country, re-setting their sights on becoming a world power and global economic force.
Yet to be named, it will host limited flights until the New Year, when service will be ramped up, and it will continue to be increased until 2030, when it is set to host 200 million passengers per year making it the largest air transit complex on the planet. To put it simply, Erdogan went on to say ´It is a great service we are offering to the region and to the world.´
The economical importance of having this new complex became clear over the last few years as visitor numbers to Istanbul have significantly improved, whilst the city is also a major trade & business hub, as 120 countries are within a 3-hour flight of the city & it is the gateway between Europe and Asia. Ataturk Airport, saw 63 million arrivals last year, making it the 15th busiest in the world, but the new facility will easily dwarf that & will become the permanent home of Turkish Airlines, who currently offer flights to 104 countries, but are looking to increase further to tie in with new demand.
Currently the airport offers 2 runways, though this will rise to 6 by 2030, and there are 114 gates over three terminals, with a 200 million capacity expected by 2030 when all phases will be complete. To cater for the numbers, 100 airlines in operation will offer over 350 different destinations, 228 desks will cover passport control, 9000 CCTV cameras will cover every inch of the 100,000 square metres of retail space, bars, restaurants and shops galore for eating/drinking and last minute shopping, 20,000 seats will offer rest before the flight, & 40,000 car parks will offer plenty of room for those leaving their vehicles behind.
Istanbul is Turkey´s largest City, and now with the airport, it can also be compared ´to the Sun of this Earth.’
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