Turkey has big plans in terms of tourism as it plans to build the world’s largest airport in Istanbul according to Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim. This new airport will be near the Black Sea, will occupy a 77 million square meter plot, and, when it will be finished, will have a capacity of 150 million passengers annually.
“There has been a great increase in the number of flights to and passengers in Istanbul in the past 10 years. The number of travellers has surpassed Istanbul’s population by four times. The ability to improve and expand Ataturk airport is severely limited. Therefore, in order to realize Istanbul’s future air-traffic potential and to provide a solution, it is evident that a new airport is needed. This will be the world’s biggest airport,” Mr. Yildirim said.
The tender process will start on Thursday and the winner will be determined using a three-tier system which includes first technical qualifications, then competing on pricing, and an offer for annual rent payments to the General Directorate of State Airports Authority of Turkey. The biggest payment will determine the winner.
45 million passengers are accommodated annually at Ataturk, Turkey’s biggest airport. Another 15 million passengers are handled by Istanbul’s second airport, Sabiha Gokcen on the Asian side.
The world’s current biggest airport is London’s Heathrow which handles approximately 70 million passengers annually. Dubai also has a major airport, accommodating 60 million passengers annually and planning to increase to 80 million by 2018. More and more people travel each year for leisure or business, therefore international flight hubs are necessary. Istanbul is a major travel destination and also a place where many people change flights in order to get to their final destinations.