Турция
A fourth main runway has entered service at Istanbul International Airport. The opening took place on 18 September 2026. The first aircraft to depart from the new runway was a Turkish Airlines plane operating flight TK1763.
The new concrete runway is 2,820 metres long and 45 metres wide. It is the airport’s first main runway oriented from east to west. This configuration will enable more efficient air traffic management under different wind directions and challenging weather conditions.
Following the launch of the new facility, the airport now operates four main and two backup runways. The new configuration will allow four aircraft to carry out independent take-off and landing operations simultaneously, increasing the airport’s capacity and improving schedule reliability.
The location of the new runway is expected to reduce aircraft taxiing times, particularly for domestic flights and eastbound routes to Anatolia, Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Shorter taxiing distances will help reduce waiting times before departure, lower fuel consumption and improve the efficiency of passenger and cargo operations.
The airport’s development will continue. The next stages include the construction of two additional main runways and one backup runway. Once the expansion is completed, the complex will have six main and three backup runways, bringing the total to nine. If the project is fully implemented, Istanbul Airport could become the world’s first commercial airport with this number of runways.
In 2025, the airport handled approximately 84.5 million passengers. Passenger traffic could approach 87 million by the end of 2026, while the long-term target is to increase capacity to 200 million passengers per year.
The expansion of Türkiye’s main aviation hub strengthens Istanbul’s position as an international transfer centre between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The development of air connectivity also improves the city’s accessibility, supports tourism and creates additional opportunities for business activity and the property market.
