Passenger traffic rises at Istanbul Airport amid summer break

ISTANBUL

With the start of the summer break for millions of students and teachers as of June 16, Istanbul Airport has witnessed an increasing rush as people move to travel to their hometowns or spend vacations at tourist hotspots.

Especially, passengers wanting to spend both the summer and Eid al-Adha holidays outside of Istanbul following the closure of schools formed long queues at check-in counters and security points as of the morning on June 17.

The Istanbul Airport operator İGA teams took measures and guided passengers at the airport entrance and terminal due to the congestion.

After the security check, passengers arriving at the terminal stand in lines at domestic and international check-in counters for hours for ticket and baggage procedures.

Nur Sarı, a teacher traveling from Istanbul Airport to the northern province of Isparta for the holidays, said that she would be visiting her hometown due to the end of the academic year.

Sarı wished her students a successful and enjoyable holiday, saying, “I want all my students to relax and rest during the break. I hope they return to school in a more energetic way. For the Eid al-Adha holiday, I am going to be with my family in my hometown. I want my students to play and relax during this time. It would be good if they do a little revision after relieving their stress.”

Another teacher, Buse Küspeci, who noted that she would be going to her hometown of Gaziantep, also wished the students a pleasant vacation.

Küspeci advised the students to read plenty of books during the holiday and said, “It has been a great academic year. I got along well with my students. I love them.”

Millions enter university exam

Even though the academic period came to an end for many students, millions of people, notably senior high school students, competed in the university entrance exams held on June 17 and 18 in two sessions, aiming to enter the universities they had targeted.

Previously, the country’s top exam body (ÖSYM) announced that a record 3.5 million candidates applied for the exam.

The exam was conducted in 21,438 buildings and 360,456 halls around the country in total. Quake survivors also were able to take the exam in their province of choice.

In the exam, 1,097,082 officials took part, and the exam proctors were paid separately for each session.