A


s anyone who’s flown into or through either of Istanbul’s two international airports recently can testify, the city is no longer a marginal destination


on the fringe of Europe. Rather, it’s grown into a major


destination for both business travellers and tourists, and an increasingly important transit hub on the route to East Asia. No surprise then that both the


city’s airports, Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen, are busy to the point of congestion. International airlines are already queuing for over-subscribed and in-demand slots before being able to commence flights.


GROWING DEMAND While by no means the worst airport to arrive or change planes at, Istanbul’s main Ataturk airport – one


THE AIRPORT WILL HANDLE


200 MILLION 350


PASSENGERS A YEAR FLYING TO AS MANY AS DESTINATIONS


of the largest in Europe – has begun to creak a little at the seams. Te 20 million passengers it was


handling 15 years ago ballooned to 64 million last year, with an additional 31 million passing though Sabiha Gokcen, and further traffic growth is anticipated. However, overcrowded waiting


areas and long queues at check-in and passport control will soon be a thing of the past. Te planned opening on October 29 of a major new international airport, for the time being simply called Istanbul Yeni Havalimani (“Istanbul New Airport”), is aimed at serving both the city’s fast-growing tourist traffic


busin e s s t r a ve lle r . c o m JUNE 2 0 18


and also the anticipated growth in transit traffic. Carved out of marshlands and


derelict mine workings to the north- west of Istanbul, with a total area of more than 7,650 hectares, the new airport promises to be the largest by area in Europe, and one of the biggest in the world (the only ones that surpass it are Denver International at 13,571 hectares, and King Fahd International in Saudi Arabia, which covers a whopping 77,600 hectares). Once completed the new airport


will boast six runways – five running north-south, and one east-west as a hedge against possible inclement weather. Plus there will be a seventh “emergency” runway, designed to handle problems that could otherwise block the operational runways and cause delays. With an eventual capacity to


handle 200 million passengers a year, flying to as many as 350 destinations, officials claim the new airport will spell an end to the take off and landing delays that have been an all too frequent occurrence at Istanbul’s two existing airports. Te rationale for such an enormous


facility is the ongoing change in the European aviation market, with the main growth area being long-haul flights aimed at both tourism and business markets, from northern Europe to the Far East.


MEASURING MORE THAN 7,650 HECTARES, THE NEW


AIRPORT PROMISES TO BE THE LARGEST BY AREA IN EUROPE


LEFT: Making finishing touches to the runway FROM BELOW: View of the terminal with boarding gates; the terminal roof has sunlight tunnels


Turkish officials insist Istanbul is better positioned than existing hubs at Dubai and Doha to act as both refuelling stop and transit for onward connections. Full capacity will only be reached


over the coming decade through staged expansion. Te second phase of construction will proceed as demand increases.


GRAND DESIGNS Although not complete, the new terminal two and control tower are already impressive, and have between them won a slate of design awards. With its sculpted ceilings, the cavernous terminal two interior is the work of UK-based Grimshaw Architects, and takes its inspiration from the domes of


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