Istanbul Atatürk Airport sees all-time high 24-hour flight traffic

ISTANBUL-Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport saw all-time high flight traffic on July 21, with 1,389 airplanes taking off from or landing at the airport. The previous record ocurred on May 14 this year, with 1,375 landings and take-offs. 

The rise in tourist numbers at the height of hot summer days and Eid al-Fitr holiday across the country helped the airport to see record high flight traffic on July 20. A total of 154,000 passengers used the airport via 1,389 airplanes, according to official figures. 

The airport made big leap within the top 20 airports of the world to land at thirteenth in 2014, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Turkish Airlines continues to rapidly expand internationally, a move which largely fuelled the airport’s jump from being ranked 39th five years ago, according to IATA figures. 

Antalya Airport on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast also hit an all-time high in passenger traffic on July 18, with 169,000 passengers taking off or landing in 1,012 airplanes throughout the day.