A new international arrivals terminal at Trabzon Airport

At the opening ceremony of Trabzon Airport's new 3,077 m² international arrivals terminal and 860 m² CIP building, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Governor of Trabzon Aziz Yıldırım, AK Party Trabzon MPs, the Mayor of Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Ahmet Metin Genç, department heads, airport staff, and invited guests were present.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that Turkey has risen to an undisputed central position in the international air network, surpassing all European countries. Ersoy said, 'Since the day we took office, we have continuously emphasized the importance of air transportation in the field of tourism, and we have taken serious steps to improve service quality and variety in this area. We have carried out extensive collaborations with Turkish Airlines. To understand the importance of air transportation, it is enough to look at the current status of Istanbul Airport. Similarly, when we look at the construction, renovation, and repair projects that have been completed and are still ongoing in our country over the past 22 years, such as Antalya, Çukurova, and the Trabzon Airport where we are today, we can clearly see how much progress we have made in air transportation. Under the vision and determination of our President, Turkey has made a significant leap in transportation. In this regard, air transportation is no longer a luxury for our people but has become an opportunity available to every region and citizen. Beyond all this, Turkey has risen to an undisputed central position in the international air network, surpassing all European countries. While we have reached such a position, it is essential not to overlook that infrastructure forms the foundation of everything in transportation. From the perspective of our responsibility, I want to emphasize that infrastructure means sustainability, preservation, quality service, and comfort in a range that extends from our tourism facilities to cultural assets. Furthermore, if we want our guests who visit our country to engage with urban life and visit our sites, museums, and historical areas, we need to provide a healthy infrastructure. To demonstrate the importance we place on this area in numbers, between 2002 and 2024, we have provided a total of 528 million lira in support for tourism infrastructure investment projects of local governments in Trabzon alone, based on current prices.'

'Transportation and infrastructure are the guarantees of a country's existence' 'As the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we strive to increase the number of qualified tourists coming to our country and thus contribute as much as possible to the Turkish economy and the prosperity of our beloved nation,' said Ersoy. 'However, the primary goal of services in transportation and infrastructure has always been the comfort and quality of life of our people. I especially want to emphasize this. I wanted to share this brief information with you because it is important to recognize the significance of transportation and infrastructure in all areas of social and economic life and to increase awareness at this point. This awareness will help us understand the tremendous burden and responsibility undertaken by our Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. So much so that transportation and infrastructure are the guarantees of a country's existence. When you look at the different developments happening in the world today, you can clearly see that land, air, sea, and rail transport, and the infrastructure that makes them functional, not only connect cities and countries but also securely connect our country and people to the future. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to bringing the Republic of Turkey to such a modern and strong position in transportation and infrastructure with their sweat and hard work, especially Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and his valuable colleagues. Undoubtedly, the strong cooperation between our ministries will continue to add value to our country through new works and services. I believe that the completion of this comprehensive project centered on Trabzon Airport will also have a multiplier effect on our efforts. Ultimately, Trabzon will continue to grow in the field of culture and tourism and will receive the attention and value it rightfully deserves in both social and economic areas.'

Minister Uraloğlu: 'As Trabzon developed, our airport kept up with the city's dynamism and continuously grew' In his speech, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, stated that the new international arrivals terminal and CIP building will further expand Trabzon Airport's wings to the future, saying, 'When it was opened in 1957, Trabzon Airport was the first airport in the Eastern Black Sea Region. From the very first day until now, it has been synonymous with development, struggle, and big thinking. Throughout the years of service, it has witnessed many important events and stories. As Trabzon developed, our airport kept up with the city's dynamism and continuously grew. However, the real transformation of Trabzon Airport into a modern airport undoubtedly occurred with the investments made during the AK Party era. In 2002, the apron, which had 7 aircraft parking positions, was increased to 11 aircraft capacity. In 2004, the existing fire station was renovated. In 2005, a 2,500 square meter operational garage building was constructed. In 2006, runway lighting regulators were installed to ensure that Trabzon Airport's 24/7 flight traffic would not be disrupted. In 2008, a new domestic terminal with a capacity of 2 million passengers per year was opened. In 2009, a new cargo building was constructed. In 2011, the number of aircraft parking positions was increased from 11 to 17. In 2013, a 1,200 square meter radar station, which is crucial for air navigation safety and continuity, was put into operation. In line with the energy needs of the developing facilities, a new power plant was put into use in 2014. When flights came to a standstill at Trabzon Airport, as in the rest of the world, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we took advantage of this opportunity to completely renew the entire runway surface of the airport. As you can see, we truly have an airport here that constantly renews and develops itself in proportion to the growth of Trabzon.'

'The runway length of Trabzon Airport is 2,640 meters, and it will not be sufficient for Trabzon in the future' Minister Uraloğlu noted that Trabzon Airport ranked 9th among airports in 2023 with approximately 3.5 million passengers on domestic and international flights. He said, 'In the first 7 months of 2024, we have served over 2 million passengers with 14,886 flights on domestic and international routes. Our airport provides international connections to 20 different destinations in 11 countries, including Qatar, Azerbaijan, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan, with 19 different airlines. As you know, we have also started direct flights between Trabzon and Saudi Arabia. With the flights we carried out during the summer, it was possible to travel directly from Trabzon to both Jeddah and Riyadh. With these flights, 1,319,299 domestic and foreign visitors came to Trabzon in 2023. As our city grows, these visits for tourism and trade purposes also increase. Given the continuously increasing number of passengers, we have also started working to build a new airport in Trabzon. Until our new airport project is realized, there was an urgent need for a new international arrivals terminal and CIP service building due to the increase in international flights and Trabzon's rising trade activities. Thankfully, today we are inaugurating our 3,077 m² international arrivals terminal and 860 m² CIP buildings. With the modern architecture and equipment of our new structures, we will offer higher-quality services that will make passengers' waiting times more enjoyable. We will elevate passengers' travel experiences to the highest level. In addition to these new structures, we have also completed the construction of a new 100-meter connection road that will provide access to the international terminal of our airport. We are continuing our work on transforming the existing international terminal into an international departures terminal, renovating the existing domestic terminal, adding two fixed passenger bridges, installing a boarding bridge system, and revamping baggage handling systems. As I mentioned earlier, these structures needed to be built until our new airport project is realized. We know that the runway length of Trabzon Airport is 2,640 meters, and it will not be sufficient for Trabzon in the future. Therefore, we will build a new airport a little further north of its current location.'