Istanbul’s airports set all-time passenger records in 2025

ISTANBUL

Passenger traffic at Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport climbed to all-time highs in 2025, according to data published by Türkiye’s airports authority and information provided by the operators.

Istanbul Airport handled 84 million passengers by year-end, up from 80.4 million in 2024, while Sabiha Gökçen served 48 million passengers, compared with 41.4 million a year earlier, the figures showed.

The operator of Istanbul Airport, iGA, said the hub hosted 547,000 flights in 2025 and maintained a network of more than 330 destinations. It added that 48 percent of its passengers were long-haul transfer travelers, while 52 percent were arriving or departing passengers.

iGA also reported its highest daily records since opening: 1,707 flights on July 18 and 282,835 passengers on Aug. 2.

On April 17, Istanbul Airport launched triple independent runway operations, a milestone that iGA said made it the first airport in Europe to implement the system.

The number of scheduled passenger airlines operating at Istanbul Airport reached 116, and the airport’s 2026 passenger target was set at 90 million.

At Sabiha Gökçen, the airport authority HEAŞ said the airport hosted more than 270,000 flights and served over 48 million passengers in 2025. International routes accounted for 56 percent of passengers, with domestic travel making up 44 percent, according to the figures.

Germany was the most-used international market, while Ercan Airport in Turkish Cyprus was the most-visited destination overall. On domestic routes, Antalya was the top destination.

Sabiha Gökçen set a daily record on Sept. 7, when it logged 856 aircraft movements and 160,163 passengers, the data showed.

The airport said it increased annual passenger numbers by 6 percent on domestic routes and by more than 24 percent on international routes compared with 2024.

It also pointed to the Terminal 1 renovation, which is expected to add 5.5 million passengers in annual capacity once all phases are completed.