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Istanbul Airport has put its fourth main runway into operation following an opening ceremony, with a flight to Finland's capital, Helsinki, becoming the first departure from the new runway.
The new runway, built at a cost of €890 million ($1 billion), brings the number of main runways at the airport to four and the total number of runways to six. At 2,820 meters long and 45 meters wide, it is the airport’s first east-west runway.
The facility is expected to shorten taxi times, particularly for domestic and eastbound flights, helping airlines save fuel and time. Its proximity to hangar areas is also expected to facilitate general aviation operations and give the airport more flexibility as air traffic grows, according to Turkish officials.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Erdogan said the new facility would also improve operational flexibility and on-time departure rates during adverse weather conditions. He noted that Türkiye's air passenger traffic exceeded 167.5 million in the first eight months of 2026, nearly twice the country's population.
Erdogan also highlighted the scale of transport and infrastructure investment in Istanbul, which he put at ₺2.1 trillion ($43.5 billion). Air transport accounted for ₺604.4 billion ($12.4 billion) of the total, he said.
Turning to the economic contribution of Istanbul Airport, Erdogan said 102,000 people work at the facility and more than 1,100 commercial businesses operate there. He added that its overall employment impact exceeds 300,000 people and that its contribution to Türkiye's economy amounts to about 2.2% of gross domestic product, or $24.2 billion.
Erdogan further projected that activities linked to the facility would support 472,000 jobs and generate $44 billion in income by 2030.
Cemal Kalyoncu, chairman of the board of IGA, the airport operator, said the latest projects would further strengthen Istanbul Airport's role as a global aviation hub. He noted that construction was completed in 42 months and that the facility now connects Türkiye with more than 140 countries and over 340 destinations.
The investments unveiled at the ceremony have a combined value of more than €1.3 billion, while work continues to expand annual passenger capacity beyond 90 million, Kalyoncu said.
The new projects also include the Jetex IGA Terminal, developed with Dubai-based aviation company Jetex through an €80 million investment.
Beyond aviation, IGA is developing an "airport city" centered on trade, accommodation, culture and social activities. The Hilton Istanbul Airport Hotel has opened with 485 rooms following an investment of about €100 million, while Florentia Village is being developed nearby through a $250 million investment by Kalyon Construction and Italy's Fingen Group.
The outlet project has brought €180 million in foreign investment into Türkiye and, located five minutes from Istanbul Airport, is intended to provide Turkish brands with a gateway to international markets, Kalyoncu said.
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