Turkey pushes button to build subway line to third Istanbul airport

“Our ministry has applied to the Development Ministry for the inclusion of the preparation works for a new rail system between the central Istanbul district of Gayrettepe and the new airport into the 2016 State Investment Plan in a bid to complete the line by the first quarter of 2018, the planned opening date for the airport. As soon as this ministry issues a high planning board decision for our application, we will start the bid process for the new subway line,” said Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan. 

The first section of the new airport is planned to open in early 2018 and offer services to 90 million passengers. 

A new 65-km-long subway line will be built from central Istanbul to the airport. The first Gayrettepe line will be 34 km long and be completed with another line, the 31-km-long Halkalı line. 

The subway line, starting from Gayrettepe, will take around 26 minutes from one end to the other.

Gayrettepe, where the existing subway, metrobus and bus lines currently meet, will be the main transfer point for both the Asian and European sides, according to officials. 

There is currently no sea or subway transportation to the airport site from the city center. 

The construction of the subway line was undertaken by the ministry in line with a cabinet decision, which was published in the Official Gazette on Sept. 1.