Routes World 2023 host iGA Istanbul Airport is fast becoming a megahub connection east and west
By DAVID CASEY
Istanbul Airport (IST) handled some 64.3 million passengers in 2022 as traffic through the Turkish hub continued to surge.
The increase was just shy of the 68.7 million passengers who traveled through the city’s main gateway in 2019—a figure that includes the combined traffic for IST and the old Ataturk airport, which closed in April of that year.
The total traffic figure last year also represented an increase of about 74% on 2021 levels. The airport now believes it can hit the 70 million milestone this year and 100 million passengers by 2026—about 12 months earlier than expected.
Much of Istanbul’s strength relies on the performance of hub carrier Turkish Airlines, which connects the airport to about 281 destinations worldwide at the present time. The number of seats offered by the Star Alliance member from IST in May 2023 is 17.4% higher than at this time in 2019, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows.
However, the airport has been working hard to further expand its number of airline partners, with a focus on enhancing low-cost penetration, particularly on routes to Europe. Until recently, the sole European LCC offering flights to IST was Transavia France, but Wizz Air and easyJet have already been secured this year.
Wizz previously served the Istanbul market six years ago, when it operated flights to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) from Budapest (BUD). The airline’s first flights to IST took off in March 2023, connecting the city with Budapest, London Gatwick (LGW) and London Luton (LTN). Service to Iasi, Romania, also started in April. During peak summer, Wizz plans to offer more than 10,000 weekly seats to and from Istanbul.
Additionally, easyJet will begin flying to Istanbul Airport in June, marking the UK carrier’s return to the Turkish city after a hiatus of almost a decade. The LCC served Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen for 12 months from March 2013, operating routes from Basel and London Luton. However, the city has remained absent from its network ever since.
The inaugural flight to IST will take off on June 9 from Manchester (MAN), England. Service will be twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, joining the LCC’s existing Turkish operations from MAN to Antalya and Dalaman.
Istanbul will become the 156th destination in easyJet’s network and its fifth in Turkey alongside Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir. It will face competition with Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines in the Manchester-Istanbul market.
Other recent successes for IST have included Latvian carrier airBaltic’s service from Riga using Airbus A220-300s, and the return of Israel’s Sun d'Or Airlines.
Additionally, capacity to mainland China is returning after Beijing opted to ease its travel restrictions in early January. Turkish Airlines has already resumed flights to Shanghai (PVG), Beijing Capital (PEK) and Guangzhou (CAN), while China Southern Airlines has commenced a Beijing Daxing (PKX) service.
Future targets for Istanbul include further developing its network in Asia, with connections to Pakistan a focus.
In honor of the Istanbul Airport’s achievements over the past 12 months, it has been named Air Transport World Airport of the Year 2023. The airport will accept the award on June 2 at the 49th Annual ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards, which recognizes excellence across a broad range of airline operations.
“While our airport has maintained its position as Europe's busiest international hub for three years, it has also become one of Europe's most resilient airports operationally,” CEO Kadri Samsunlu said. “We are committed to maintaining operational excellence to reflect the quality of our airport's services to employees, stakeholders, and passengers.”
Routes World 2023 takes place from Oct. 15-17 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
