Airports in Turkey

Istanbul Atatürk International Airport

Turkey is one of the first countries to establish military and civil aviation. The inauguration of Atatürk Airport (formerly called Yeşilköy) dates back to as early as 1912 whereas Turkish Airlines, the national airline of Turkey was founded in 1933.

Due to the vaste territory of the country, air travel has been an essential way of either domestic or international transportation. The national target of the authorities concerning aviation is to construct an airport at every 100 kilometers within the country.

This aim seems to have largely been achieved according to the map below. Turkey has 55 airports at the present; yet some of them are inoperative due to renovation or various other reasons (USQ, BZI, GKD etc)

Country's largest and busiest airport is by far Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) with more than 60 millions passangers yearly. Atatürk (IST) is followed by the second airport serving the city, Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), with around 28 millions passanger. The third busiest airport of the country is Antalya Airport (AYT) with 27 millions passanger.

The newest airport of the country is Ordu-Giresun Airport (OGU) which was built on a sea-filled area. A new airport which is announced to be the world's biggest is under construction in north of Istanbul by Black Sea coast. Projects to construct airports in following cities have been announced:

1. Rize-Artvin (Eastern Black Sea provinces), 
2. Çukurova Regional (serving Adana, Mersin, Osmaniye), 
3. Yozgat (Central Turkey)  
4. Kaş (Westernmost district of Antalya),  
5. Trakya (serving Edirne and Kırklareli provinces)
6. Çeşme (preminent summer resort of Izmir city)
7. Gümüşhane-Bayburt (serving two inner-Black Sea region cities)
8. Karaman (Southern Turkey)
9. Niğde-Aksaray (serving two cities in Cappadocia region)

Map featuring all airports of Turkey at the present