Istanbul Airport to open fourth runway

ISTANBUL

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the fourth main runway at Istanbul Airport is nearing completion and will become operational in the last quarter of the year.

The new 2,820-meter-long and 45-meter-wide runway is built on an east-west axis to increase operational capacity. The transport hub currently serves flights with three main and two backup runways located on a north-south axis.

Provisional acceptance of the construction will finish in August, with operations starting after technical tests. The track will improve air traffic management and decrease taxi times. Eastward takeoffs will utilize this runway in favorable weather.

The infrastructure will allow safe flights during crosswinds and lay the groundwork for future independent four-runway management, Uraloğlu said. Its proximity to hangar areas will enable faster general aviation activities, he said.