Airports serve 17.8 million passengers in January

ISTANBUL

Some 17.8 million passengers traveled through Türkiye’s airports in January, including transit passengers.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said that total aircraft movements reached 179,078, marking a 1.8 percent increase compared to January 2025.

Domestic traffic accounted for 68,371 flights, while international operations totaled 62,749. Passenger numbers reflected a notable rise: 8.2 million on domestic routes and 9.57 million on international routes. Overall traffic grew by 9.6 percent year-on-year.

Istanbul Airport remained the busiest hub, handling 6.91 million passengers—1.33 million on domestic flights and 5.58 million on international services—representing a 7 percent increase from the previous year. Sabiha Gökçen Airport also saw significant growth, serving 4.19 million passengers in January, a 14 percent rise compared to 2025.

Tourism-focused airports contributed 2,285,422 passengers, with 1,446,366 on domestic flights and 839,056 on international routes. Aircraft movements at these airports totaled 16,739.

Uraloğlu emphasized that Türkiye’s airports continue to expand their role as passenger- and environmentally friendly hubs, supporting both domestic connectivity and international tourism.