Newsletters
Istanbul's two main airports handled more than 63.4 million passengers in the first half of 2026, leading Türkiye's aviation traffic as airports nationwide served nearly 112 million passengers, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Friday.
The combined figure from Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport reached 63.45 million between January and June, according to data from the State Airports Authority General Directorate (DHMI), which oversees airport operations in Türkiye. Uraloglu said the total was higher than the population of 78 of the country's 81 provinces.
Across Türkiye, airports served 111.96 million passengers in the six months, including direct transit travelers, meaning passengers continuing their journey through an airport. The national total was up 2.6% compared with the same period last year, with domestic traffic at 50 million and international traffic at 61.9 million.
Istanbul Airport, Türkiye's largest aviation hub, carried 39.92 million passengers from January to June. International travelers made up most of that traffic, with 31.69 million passengers, while domestic routes accounted for 8.24 million.
The airport also recorded 262,271 aircraft movements during the period, including both domestic and international flights, underlining its role as the country's main gateway for long-haul and connecting travel.
On the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport served 23.53 million passengers in the same period. Its traffic was more evenly split, with 10.85 million domestic passengers and 12.67 million international travelers.
Uraloglu said, "At Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport, we served 63.45 million in the first half of the year." He added that the two airports hosted more passengers in the first half than the population of 78 provinces.
Passenger traffic remained strong in June, when airports across Türkiye handled 22.92 million passengers, including direct transit travelers. Of that total, 9.37 million traveled on domestic routes, while 13.54 million used international routes.
Aircraft traffic across the country reached 221,826 movements in June, including overflights, while cargo traffic stood at 484,943 metric tons.
For the January-June period, aircraft movements at Turkish airports totaled nearly 1.11 million, including overflights. Cargo traffic reached about 2.5 million metric tons, with international routes accounting for the large majority of freight.
Airports serving Türkiye's major tourism destinations also carried a large share of travel demand, welcoming 23.36 million passengers in the first half of the year.
Antalya Airport led those tourism hubs with 13.65 million passengers, followed by Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport with nearly 6 million. Dalaman Airport served 1.85 million passengers, Milas-Bodrum Airport handled 1.52 million, and Gazipasa-Alanya Airport hosted 341,213 travelers.
Aircraft traffic at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, now mainly used for cargo, private and official flights, reached 12,865 movements during the same six-month period.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
5 min read
