Ankara airports handle 145 flights during NATO summit

ANKARA

Türkiye recorded a total of 145 flight movements at the capital Ankara’s two airports during the NATO summit, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on July 9.

As the Turkish capital returned to normal following the high-profile gathering, Uraloğlu shared details of the air traffic handled by Ankara Esenboğa Airport and the newly inaugurated Ankara Airport throughout the summit held on July 7 and 8.

According to the minister, July 6, the day before of the summit, saw 26 flight movements, including 20 arrivals and six departures, across the two airports.

Traffic intensified on the opening day of the summit on July 7, when the airports handled 57 flights, consisting of 52 arrivals and five departures, as heads of state, senior officials and delegations arrived in the capital.

Departures dominated the final day of the summit on July 8, with 62 flight movements recorded, including 11 arrivals and 51 departures, as participating delegations left Ankara.

In total, Ankara Esenboğa Airport and Ankara Airport handled 145 flight movements during three days, comprising 83 arrivals and 62 departures, Uraloğlu said.

Ankara Airport, which was officially inaugurated on June 15 following an extensive modernization project, now operates under the IATA code “ANK” and serves both domestic and international flights.

The redevelopment transformed the facility from a military air base into an international aviation hub capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft and hosting world leaders during major diplomatic events, the minister noted.