Türkiye’s airports serve 187,4 million passengers in first nine months of 2025 - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Turkish airports handled a total of 187.4 million passengers — including direct transit travelers — between January and September 2025, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. The figure represents a 7.6% increase compared to the same period last year, reflecting continued growth in Türkiye’s aviation sector.

Robust rise in air traffic and cargo volumes

Data from the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) show that in the first nine months, 756,659 domestic and 711,652 international flights were operated, bringing the total aircraft movements to 1.88 million, including overflights — also up 7.6% year-on-year.

In September alone, Turkish airports served 9.5 million domestic and 15.2 million international passengers, reaching a monthly total of 24.7 million, an increase of 10.5% compared with September 2024. The number of aircraft takeoffs and landings in September reached 92,573 on domestic routes and 94,799 on international ones, totaling 239,335 including overflights.

Cargo operations also recorded strong performance, with 712,615 tons handled on domestic routes and 3.13 million tons internationally, surpassing 3.84 million tons in total during the nine-month period. In September alone, Turkish airports processed 91,460 tons of domestic and 406,058 tons of international cargo.

Istanbul remains Türkiye’s aviation hub

The IGA Istanbul Airport led the country with 410,571 flights and 62.8 million passengers handled between January and September. The Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the Asian side of the city, followed with 202,965 flights and 35.6 million passengers. Meanwhile, Atatürk Airport, now operating as an executive and cargo facility, recorded 21,835 flights during the same period.

In September, IGA Istanbul Airport managed 48,502 flights and 7.6 million passengers, while Sabiha Gökçen handled 24,669 flights and 4.4 million passengers.

Tourism regions attract over 50 million passengers

Airports in Türkiye’s major tourism regions served a combined 50.2 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025 — 14.9 million on domestic and 35.2 million on international routes — with total air traffic reaching 337,139 flights.

According to Minister Uraloğlu, passenger figures at key tourism airports included:

·         Antalya Airport: 31.3 million passengers

·         Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport: 9.5 million passengers

·         Muğla Dalaman Airport: 4.7 million passengers

·         Muğla Milas-Bodrum Airport: 3.7 million passengers

·         Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport: 802,596 passengers

Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that Türkiye’s modern, eco-friendly airports and expanding connectivity continue to strengthen the country’s position as a major global aviation hub.

Image Credit: © AA