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The expansion project at Cappadocia Airport in the central province of Nevsehir will be completed in phases, with the first stage set to open in October, raising capacity to 2 million passengers from the current 700,000, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced Saturday.
Speaking during an inspection of the ongoing construction, Uraloglu said that the terminal building’s enclosed areas, including check-in counters and passport control sections, are being expanded to meet long-term needs.
The project also includes a new taxiway to allow aircraft to reach the runway more quickly and to shorten the taxiing distance for arriving planes.
Uraloglu added that the design incorporates Nevsehir stone in the terminal’s construction and features interior decorations inspired by regional motifs.
He said that visitors arriving at the airport will immediately encounter visual elements and cultural symbols representing Nevsehir and Cappadocia, a region known for its distinctive rock formations, cave dwellings, and hot-air balloon tours.
Cappadocia remains one of the landmark destinations of Turkish tourism, with official data showing that overnight stays in the first five months of 2025 rose 32% to 1.34 million.
More than 3,000 people take hot-air balloon rides in Cappadocia each day, making it one of the few places in the world where flights can be held on over 200 days annually.
In the first seven months of 2025, the number of balloon flights across the region increased by 4%, while passenger capacity grew 11% compared with the same period last year.
In 2025, the leading nationalities visiting and staying overnight in Nevsehir were from South Korea, China, Spain, the United States, and Indonesia.
The region generated $2.06 billion in tourism revenue in 2024, with the figure expected to rise to $2.4 billion in 2025.
A study by Cappadocia University estimates that the region’s annual tourism revenue has the potential to reach up to $5 billion.
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