Atatürk Airport will be reborn with a brand new approach

Atatürk Airport will keep its general aviation area. Two runways will be open for flights and aircraft hangars will continue to provide services. There are plans to turn parts of the terminal building into an aviation university. The cargo area will be moved to the new airport in only a year’s time. 

New restructuring

It seems they have made some progress. I think an important part of Atatürk Airport will continue to stand on its feet. With new restructuring, it will become a general aviation center. Two runways 3,000 meters long will be kept on the Florya side. The hangars and maintenance centers will also stay. If there will be an intensive need for a military airport, it might move to the Florya side.

The majority of the terminal buildings will become a university. That is to say, an aviation university big and equipped enough to address Turkey’s needs. This place will be open to the world and it will provide education and training for youth from all over the world for employment in various fields of aviation, from pilots, to cabin attendants to traffic controllers. Either a general aviation center building will be constructed or one of the buildings will be transformed into one.

The passengers of the incoming private jets will be hosted here. There will obviously be passport police and customs. There will be duty free shops a well as food and beverage sections. Many local and foreign private planes will be parked here.

Hosting fairs

Aviation fairs like Teknofest and the Istanbul Airshow will take place here.

The products of the aviation industry will also be exhibited here. Foreigners might also see Turkey’s military equipment. Terminal buildings, which are worth $1 billion will start a second life. This new structuring will obviously save the hotels in the neighborhood. It is expected that this new center could attract the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), which is a premier event and the annual meeting place for the European business aviation community.

12 million square meters

What will happen to the project of turning it into a People’s Garden?

A very large part of the 12 million square meter giant land will be arranged as people’s garden.

In addition to the two runways that are 3,000 meters long and 45 meters wide, the decision of whether or not to keep the 60-meter-wide 2,600-meter-long runway facing Florya-Ataköy will be considered at a later stage.

The General Directorate of Airports, Transportation Ministry, Teknofest organizers and the government aircraft fleet’s leading pilot Captain Görkem Aksoy, who spearheaded the project, have come together for a meeting. The results will be presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The idea for a general aviation center is rather definite. There is a concept for that idea. Now, work will be done on shaping the details. I hope that day is near. Atatürk Airport will be reborn with a brand new approach. Not only will it address an important need for Turkey, it will be yet another symbol of Turkey’s development.