Airports serve 182 million passengers last year

ANKARA

Total passenger traffic at Türkiye’s airports increased by 42 percent last year from 2021 to 182 million, data from the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ).

The international traveler tally soared 73 percent compared with the previous year to more than 103 million, while nearly 79 million domestic passengers went through the country’s airports in 2022, marking a 15 percent increase.

Istanbul Airport saw a 73 percent surge to 64.5 million, with international passengers rising 83 percent to 49 million. Domestic passenger traffic at the airport showed a 49 percent increase to 16 million.

Sabiha Gökçen, the second-largest airport in Istanbul, reported a 24 percent growth as it served 31 million people. International passengers were up 77 percent to 15.6 million, but domestic passengers fell 5 percent to 15.1 million.

Airports, which are located in holiday destinations and resorts, welcomed more than 50 million travelers last year, including 33 million international passengers, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu said.

International passenger traffic at Dalaman Airport in the province of Muğla on the Aegean coast leaped 221 percent, while the increases in Adnan Menderes Airport in İzmir, was 110 percent and at Antalya
Airport 46 percent.

Newly opened Rize-Artvin and Tokat airports served nearly 606,000 passengers, the minister said.

In December alone, 6 million domestic and 6.85 million international passengers used the airports, according to Karaismailoğlu.

Total aircraft traffic at the country’s airports also exhibited an increase of 23.5 percent last year from 2021 to 1.5 million with international movement up 50 percent to 699,000. Commercial aircraft traffic rose 29 percent to 1.12 million.

Work to expand capacity of Antalya Airport has begun and a tender for capacity expansion at Esenboğa Airport in the capital was held in December, the minister said.

The highest bid in the tender was 560.5 million euros and the 118 million euros of payment for the 25-year lease will be made in cash within 90 days, he furthered.

“Investments in the aviation sector will continue in full swing in 2023,” the minister said.