Busy Istanbul airport helps boom in tourism numbers

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Atatürk Airport hosts more than 10 million passengers per year. DHA photo

Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport broke the air traffic all-time record with 1,171 landings and take-offs on April 25, ahead of an approaching tender for the third Istanbul airport.

The largest of Istanbul’s airports has the highest growth rate of any of the world’s airports that host more than 10 million passengers per year, the General Director of State Airports Authority (DHMİ) Orhan Birdal said in a statement on April 26.

The statement said the most intense air traffic in the airport was with 929 planes in 2008 and that the number of airplanes landing and taking off in 24 hours had reached 1,171 two days ago. Birdal said the Transportation Ministry and his directorate had been straining every nerve to prevent possible malfunctions, but also said the new airport planned for Istanbul needed to be completed as soon as possible due to the high pressure currently on Ataturk Airport.

The tender for the airport is set to be held in May 3. Its passenger capacity is planned to gradually reach 150 million passengers, with its first phase is set to be completed by 2017.