The World Airports Experience Summit, hosted by İGA, the operator of Istanbul Airport, and organized by Airports Council International, is being held at a hotel in Istanbul’s Şişli district.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, İGA Istanbul Airport Chief Executive Officer Selahattin Bilgen, Airports Council International Director General Justin Erbacci, Munich Airport Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jost Lammers, and representatives of the aviation industry are attending the summit.
Uraloğlu highlights aviation’s strategic role
Speaking at the opening program, Uraloğlu said developments in the aviation sector affect many areas of life at a time when time has become increasingly important. He said air transport does more than provide transportation, bringing countries and economies closer together.
Describing airports as “the gateways of civilization,” Uraloğlu said building an airport does not merely mean constructing a structure of concrete and steel, but also creating new routes opening toward the future. He said countries with strong airport networks would be among the decisive actors in global trade.
Number of airports rises to 58
Uraloğlu said Türkiye had strengthened the advantage of its geographical position through airport investments carried out over the past 24 years. He said Türkiye had become a hub connecting continents, with international flight routes to 356 destinations in 133 countries.
Uraloğlu said the number of active airports had risen from 26 in 2002 to 58 after 16 inactive airports were renovated and 16 new airports were built. He said the target was for the number to reach 60 soon with airports currently under construction.
Uraloğlu said the number of countries with which Türkiye has air transport agreements had risen from 81 to 175, while the international flight network had reached 356 destinations in 133 countries after 296 new destinations were added since 2002.
Passenger numbers rise to 247 million
Uraloğlu said approximately 34.5 million passengers traveled on domestic and international routes in Türkiye in 2002. He said the figure rose to 247 million in 2025, setting a record in the history of the Republic of Türkiye. He added that Türkiye had risen to third place in Europe and seventh place globally in passenger traffic.
Uraloğlu said Istanbul Airport was Europe’s busiest airport, ahead of Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam and London Heathrow, with an average of 1,665 daily flights. He added that the airport ranked sixth among the world’s 25 busiest airports, with an average of 843 daily departures.
Uraloğlu said Istanbul Airport reached Türkiye’s and Europe’s highest daily flight and passenger figures on August 16, 2026, with 1,739 flights and 290,287 passengers. He said the record was broken again when 1,787 flights were operated at the airport on August 30.
Final stage for the fourth runway
Uraloğlu said İGA Istanbul Airport had renewed the fifth level, the highest level of Airports Council International’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation. He added that Turkish Airlines continued to be the airline flying to the largest number of countries.
Uraloğlu said Türkiye had risen to sixth place among the countries with the highest traffic volumes in Europe, averaging 4,400 flights per day. He said Türkiye had surpassed Greece, Poland, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Recalling that Istanbul Airport had achieved a first in Europe with triple independent runway operations, Uraloğlu announced that work on the fourth main runway, built along the east-west axis, had reached its final stage. He said the runway, which is 2,820 meters long and 45 meters wide, was expected to enter service in the coming days after its technical tests were completed.
Uraloğlu also said sustainability efforts were as important at airports as the passenger experience. He said most airports in Türkiye had carbon accreditation and that the free-route airspace application provided savings in fuel, time and emissions.
The summit is scheduled to continue with meetings, events and panels through Friday, September 4.
