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Türkiye aims to complete ongoing reconstruction and expansion of Hatay Airport in 2026, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said during inspections at the site.
Uraloglu said work is continuing on the main runway, which is 3,000 meters long, including concrete pavement production.
Excavation and filling works at additional apron areas have been completed, and superstructure construction has begun.
Hatay Airport was severely affected by the Feb. 6 earthquakes due to fault ruptures and soil liquefaction, which caused permanent surface deformation and ground subsidence of up to 1.5 meters, including on the runway and surrounding areas.
Following the earthquake, Uraloglu said authorities quickly carried out emergency works to reopen the runway for humanitarian aid and evacuation flights.
He said comprehensive reconstruction began on Nov. 21, 2023, to ensure the airport can continue operating even during future disasters.
So far, a 2,720-meter-long auxiliary runway has been opened.
Construction of a new apron with 10 aircraft parking positions, a taxiway connecting the new runway and apron, a regulator building and a heating center has been completed.
Uraloglu said work is also ongoing on the terminal building, staff housing and the airport’s perimeter security road.
In October, construction began on new fire station and main security buildings, as well as additional apron and public aviation apron areas, including related infrastructure.
He said ground improvement works using bored piles are continuing at new construction sites and emphasized that all construction is planned to be completed within 2026.
Uraloglu said Hatay Airport served 433,348 passengers in the first 11 months of the year, marking a 68% increase compared to the same period last year.
He added that international flights to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Dusseldorf have also begun.
Once complete, Hatay Airport will have two runways, a 3,000-meter main runway and a 2,720-meter emergency and taxi runway, allowing uninterrupted operations even during maintenance, significantly increasing capacity.
Uraloglu said transport investments in Hatay are not limited to aviation.
Since 2002, Türkiye has invested 86.7 billion liras in the province’s transportation and communication infrastructure under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said divided road length in Hatay increased from 151 kilometers to 500 kilometers, while hot-mix asphalt roads expanded from 172 kilometers to 439 kilometers.
After the earthquakes, 102 kilometers of a planned 140-kilometer road network connecting new housing areas have been completed.
Uraloglu also said construction continues on 15 highway projects, including the Kirikhan–Reyhanli road, Ceyhan–Toprakkale–Iskenderun state road and the Iskenderun–Antakya Motorway.
Work has also begun on the Dortyol–Hassa Motorway and Railway Tunnel project, which will shorten routes to Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras and bring high-speed rail to Hatay.
He added that repairs at the Iskenderun Fishing Harbor have been completed, while tenders for repairs at other coastal facilities have been finalized or are ongoing.
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