CEO praises performance of Istanbul Airport

ISTANBUL

Runways and other facilities at the mega Istanbul Airport are designed to serve passengers and airplanes at best performance, Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of İGA, which operated the city’s new airport, has said in an interview.

Samsunlu dismissed suggestions that wind in the area where the airport is located, may cause problems.

“Winds there are northerly winds. That is why some 85 percent of airplanes approach the airport from the Marmara Sea direction with noses facing the Black Sea,” Samsunlu explained in response to claims that planes coming from the Black Sea direction were having problems landing.

The globally set standard is that runways at an airport should have at least 95 percent capacity, he noted.

“We meet this global criterion. The runway capacity at Istanbul Airport is around 97-98 percent. Otherwise, international airlines would not use the airport,” Samsunlu said.

The CEO underlined that the airport is serving travelers from 126 countries, whereas in France the corresponding figure is 90.

The taxiing time at Istanbul Airport is some 4-5 minutes longer than that of Atatürk Airport, he said.

“This is normal. Because Istanbul Airport is a big airport. However, the taxiing time will decline when the new runway is completed.”

Samsunlu also noted that Istanbul Airport is expected to serve around 75 million passengers this year.

According to the company’s executive, 52.5 million travelers used Istanbul Airport in a nine-month period in 2019.

“We will serve more than 100 million passengers in five years,” he said.

Istanbul Airport took over air traffic from Atatürk Airport on April 6, 2019.

He separately said six more airlines will start using Istanbul Airport this year, after 11 in 2019.

Samsunlu said the airport will contribute $40 billion to the economy when all phases are completed.

With a full capacity of 200 million passengers annually after the completion of all four phases with six runways by 2028, Istanbul Airport is set to become a global aviation hub hosting more than 100 airlines and flights to over 300 destinations around the world.