Türkiye Inaugurates New Runway at Sabiha Gökçen Airport Amid Rising Passenger Traffic

In a definitive stride towards becoming a global aviation hub, Türkiye has launched a second runway at the Sabiha Gökçen Airport - the nation's second-largest and third busiest terminal. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the runway, a move aimed at addressing the rapidly growing air passenger traffic.

Doubling Airport Capacity

The new runway, spanning a formidable 3,540 meters in length and 60 meters in width, is the second-largest in the country and is expected to more than double the airport's capacity. In 2021, Sabiha Gökçen saw about 181,000 flights and served approximately 25 million passengers. These numbers rose to 31 million passengers in 2022, and the period from January to November 2023 saw a record 34 million passengers and 208,000 flights.

Addressing Increasing Air Traffic

With the new runway, Sabiha Gökçen is prepared to accommodate the world's widest-bodied aircraft. It's designed for landings, while the existing runway will be dedicated to take-offs. Türkiye's broader efforts to upgrade its infrastructure are evident in the increase in the number of airports from 26 to 57 since 2002. The Istanbul Airport, Türkiye's largest, has become a significant aviation transit center since it became fully operational in April 2019.

Eyeing the Global Aviation Hub Status

Türkiye's strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa gives it an advantage in its quest to become a global aviation hub. In 2022, Türkiye ranked third in Europe and sixth globally in total passenger traffic, with three of its airports among the top 20 in Europe and the top 50 worldwide. With the new runway and the projected increase in passenger traffic, Sabiha Gökçen Airport is well on its way to becoming a central piece of this aviation puzzle.