Istanbul Airport has secured the title of Europe’s busiest airport and risen to fifth place worldwide, handling an impressive average of 1,624 flights per day, according to EUROCONTROL’s September 12 European Aviation Overview Report.

Türkiye’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, celebrated the achievement, noting that Istanbul Airport has now outpaced major European hubs such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, and London Heathrow.

The report also ranked Türkiye as Europe’s sixth busiest country for air traffic, with an average of 4,200 daily flights, placing it ahead of Greece, the Netherlands, and Poland.

Uraloğlu emphasized the rapid growth of Türkiye’s aviation industry, highlighting that Antalya Airport also made it into Europe’s top ten, coming in ninth with an average of 1,024 daily flights.

On a global scale, Istanbul Airport stood out among 25 major airports, claiming fifth place worldwide with 821 daily departures between September 1 and 7.

“These numbers show that Türkiye is becoming an increasingly important player in global aviation,” Uraloğlu said. “Istanbul Airport is now firmly established as one of the world’s most important hubs, connecting continents and supporting our vision of becoming a global center for air travel.”

Aviation analysts note that Istanbul Airport’s success is fueled by its state-of-the-art infrastructure, strategic location bridging Europe and Asia, and Türkiye’s continued investments in the sector. (ILKHA)