Istanbul Airports Welcome More Than 63 Million Passengers in First Half of 2026

Turkey

Türkiye’s aviation sector continues to grow as rising passenger numbers reinforce the country's position as a leading international travel hub

Türkiye’s airports handled nearly 112 million passengers during the first six months of 2026, reflecting continued growth in both domestic and international air travel. According to figures released by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI), passenger traffic increased by 2.6 percent year on year, with Istanbul’s two international gateways accounting for more than half of all travellers.

Istanbul remains the country's aviation powerhouse

Between January and June, Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport welcomed a combined 63.45 million passengers. According to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the figure exceeds the population of 78 of Türkiye’s 81 provinces.

Istanbul Airport remained the country’s busiest aviation hub, serving 39.92 million passengers during the six-month period. Of these, 8.24 million travelled on domestic routes, while 31.69 million were international passengers. The airport also recorded 262,271 aircraft movements, including 204,000 international flights.

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport handled a further 23.53 million passengers, including 10.85 million domestic and 12.67 million international travellers. Aircraft movements totalled 135,535, comprising more than 75,000 international flights.

“At Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport, we served 63.45 million in the first half of the year,” said Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

“Our two airports in Istanbul hosted more passengers in the first half than the population of 78 provinces,” he added.

Passenger traffic continues to rise nationwide

Across Türkiye, airports welcomed 111.96 million passengers during the January-to-June period, including direct transit travellers. Domestic traffic reached 50 million passengers, while international passenger numbers climbed to 61.9 million.

Aircraft movements totalled almost 1.11 million, including overflights, while air cargo volumes reached approximately 2.5 million tonnes. International freight accounted for 2.06 million tonnes, with domestic cargo contributing a further 440,880 tonnes.

June alone saw 22.92 million passengers travel through Turkish airports, including 13.54 million international and 9.37 million domestic travellers. During the month, airports handled 221,826 aircraft movements and nearly 485,000 tonnes of cargo.

Tourism gateways report strong demand

Airports serving Türkiye’s leading tourism destinations welcomed 23.36 million passengers in the first half of 2026, including 14.06 million international visitors.

Antalya Airport remained the busiest tourism gateway with 13.65 million passengers, followed by İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport with almost 6 million travellers.

Dalaman Airport handled 1.85 million passengers during the period, while Milas-Bodrum Airport welcomed 1.52 million travellers. Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport completed the list of major tourism airports with 341,213 passengers, underlining continued demand for Türkiye’s Mediterranean and Aegean holiday destinations.