Tourexpi
Turkish airports handled a total of 187.4 million
passengers — including direct transit travelers — between January and September
2025, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
The figure represents a 7.6% increase compared to the same period last year,
reflecting continued growth in Türkiye’s aviation sector.
Robust rise in air traffic and cargo volumes
Data from the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) show
that in the first nine months, 756,659 domestic and 711,652 international
flights were operated, bringing the total aircraft movements to 1.88 million,
including overflights — also up 7.6% year-on-year.
In September alone, Turkish airports served 9.5
million domestic and 15.2 million international passengers, reaching a monthly
total of 24.7 million, an increase of 10.5% compared with September 2024. The
number of aircraft takeoffs and landings in September reached 92,573 on
domestic routes and 94,799 on international ones, totaling 239,335 including
overflights.
Cargo operations also recorded strong performance,
with 712,615 tons handled on domestic routes and 3.13 million tons
internationally, surpassing 3.84 million tons in total during the nine-month
period. In September alone, Turkish airports processed 91,460 tons of domestic
and 406,058 tons of international cargo.
Istanbul remains Türkiye’s aviation hub
The IGA Istanbul Airport led the country with 410,571
flights and 62.8 million passengers handled between January and September. The Istanbul
Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the Asian side of the city, followed with 202,965
flights and 35.6 million passengers. Meanwhile, Atatürk Airport, now operating
as an executive and cargo facility, recorded 21,835 flights during the same
period.
In September, IGA Istanbul Airport managed 48,502
flights and 7.6 million passengers, while Sabiha Gökçen handled 24,669 flights
and 4.4 million passengers.
Tourism regions attract over 50 million passengers
Airports in Türkiye’s major tourism regions served a
combined 50.2 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025 — 14.9
million on domestic and 35.2 million on international routes — with total air
traffic reaching 337,139 flights.
According to Minister Uraloğlu, passenger figures at
key tourism airports included:
·
Antalya Airport: 31.3 million
passengers
·
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport: 9.5
million passengers
·
Muğla Dalaman Airport: 4.7 million
passengers
·
Muğla Milas-Bodrum Airport: 3.7
million passengers
·
Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport: 802,596
passengers
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that Türkiye’s modern,
eco-friendly airports and expanding connectivity continue to strengthen the
country’s position as a major global aviation hub.
Image
Credit: © AA
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