Introducing Istanbul Airport: The World’s Largest Passenger Hub
After a long wait, the day has finally arrived. Istanbul Airport officially replaced Ataturk Airport on April 5, 2019 as the city’s main arrival and departure point, after a 41-hour sprint over the weekend before opening that moved 44 tons of equipment to the new facilities. This handover is no easy task: the new airport is a giant, with a capacity of more than 150 million passengers per year, making it the largest aviation hub in the world. Many of our clients will be traveling to or through Istanbul Airport, so we have prepared an introduction to help travelers get to know the state-of-the-art facilities.
The story behind the new Istanbul airport
If you’ve ever traveled to Istanbul or taken a transit flight through the city, you’ve come across Ataturk Airport, and chances are good that the facility felt a bit crowded. The airport has struggled for a few years, with passenger flow exceeding its maximum capacity of 90 million. A quick look at customer reviews on any travel site will show that it wasn’t the most pleasant place to catch a flight or layover.
Why has the number of passengers increased? This is partly due to Istanbul’s growing appeal as a city break destination. More and more European, American, Chinese and Russian tourists are choosing to explore Topkapi and the Grand Bazaar, stretching transportation hubs to the limit. At the same time, Turkey has become a bridge between East and West, and a convenient stopover point for long-haul flights.
A new airport takes shape to handle Istanbul’s growing traffic
With all this in mind, the government announced the construction of a brand new airport in 2013. A huge forest was set aside on the European side of the Bosphorus, and Ankara invited architects to submit plans for a global aviation hub. The competition was won by a consortium of British and Norwegian architects, including Grimshaw, Haptic and the Nordic Office for Architecture, who produced a blueprint for something truly special.
On a more practical level, the designers were tasked with including six tracks (compared to Ataturk’s two) on a site about 35 miles from the old town. The idea was to create a seamless link between ground transportation, on-site facilities, and flights, offering a level of convenience that Ataturk could no longer provide.
This was an ambitious goal, and the project initially struggled to meet its deadlines. Scheduled to open in October 2018 to coincide with the 95th anniversary of the founding of modern Turkey, the opening was first pushed back to January 1, 2019, and then to early April. However, the Istanbul airport is now open and the terminals are ready to receive passengers. So what can travelers expect?
Architectural features of the new airport
The new Istanbul airport is impressive. The terminal itself has been designed to echo the graceful curves and spacious interiors of Byzantine buildings and includes a variety of intricate patterns. Grimshaw and the other designers have worked hard to maximize natural light and space while accommodating foot traffic throughout the site. The terminal is also complemented by a tulip-shaped control tower. Created by pininfarina and AECOM, the tower will be illuminated with colors from its base at night, creating an instantly recognizable symbol of modern Istanbul.
Which airlines will make the airport their hub?
Turkish Airlines has moved into its new headquarters at Istanbul Airport from April 2019. The Turkish national flag carrier has shifted its operations from Ataturk and is the most prominent airline in the terminal. If you’re traveling with them, look for Lounge Istanbul. Offering restaurants, play areas, showers and work facilities, it is the largest lounge on the new airport site. Most major international airlines will also serve the new airport, including British Airways, Air France, Emirates and Lufthansa.
What international connections will Istanbul Airport have?
Istanbul Airport will offer a wide range of global connections. Turkish Airlines already offers flights to Moscow, London, Paris, Munich and Frankfurt, and the options have multiplied since the move to the new airport, now including destinations as far away as Buenos Aires, Jakarta, Zanzibar and Los Angeles. Once fully completed, Istanbul Airport will serve as many passengers as its counterparts in London, New York and Dubai.
Lounges, shops and places to eat at the new airport
A state-of-the-art airport must measure up when it comes to customer services. Travelers didn’t have many options before the official opening, but that will change now that the airport is fully open. As for shopping, Turkish Airlines confirms that there will be places to buy mobile phones, fashion clothes and travel essentials, as well as extras such as dry cleaning, barbering, shoe shine and tailoring services. Filled up on shopping? Turkish Airlines’ impressive lounge, now much larger than its previous iteration at Ataturk, offers plenty of space to relax.
Getting to and from Istanbul city center
Will it be easy to get to Istanbul airport from the city center? Currently, the most comfortable public transport option will be the luxury coaches operated by İstanbul Otobüs A.Ş., but the Havaist shuttles should be just as fast and comfortable. There are plans for a Metro connection, but this won’t happen until next year in 2020. On the plus side, travelers will find car rental points in the arrivals hall, and taxis are freely available.
Since its official opening on April 5, 2019, the airport has reshaped the global landscape for travelers and airlines alike, marking a vast improvement for visitors to Turkey’s largest city.
