Turkey’s new hub airport will simply be named ‘Istanbul Airport’, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared during a ceremony to mark its opening.
The new facility is to replace the congested Ataturk airport once it becomes operational.
Turkey’s civil aviation directorate has completed a four-month certification process which commenced in July, assessing aspects such as safety, security, ILS and navigation systems.
Transport minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan says that all passenger facilities in the terminal comply with international standards, and the building has received an operating licence.
Turkey’s aeronautical information publications, he says, have been updated with the detailed data on the new facility.
President Erdogan stated during the opening ceremony on 29 October that, with the new airport, Turkey occupies “the most important transit hub” for north-south and east-west flights.
He added that the airport would be named after the city.
“Istanbul Airport, with its architecture, construction, operation and financing, is a project which is a source of pride for Turkey, and sets an example to the world,” he said.
Erdogan added that European airspace “will need to be restructured” as a result of the introduction of the hub.
Turkish Airlines is set to transfer its operations to the new airport which, it says, will ultimately have capacity for 200 million passengers and offer flights to 350 destinations.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
