Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is being renovated with 24 projects

At a press conference held at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the CEO of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Alp Er Tunga Ersoy, met with journalists to discuss the airport's development from its construction phase to the present and its future goals. Alp Er Tunga Ersoy has become the new CEO of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Turkey's second and Europe's ninth busiest airport. Ersoy, hosting the press members, evaluated the developments in the aviation sector. He detailed the current operations and future objectives of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, saying, “A total of 24 projects are ongoing simultaneously. Our goal here is to ensure passengers can board their flights as quickly as possible.”

“Ease in air traffic”

Speaking about the ongoing projects, Alp Er Tunga Ersoy, CEO of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, said, “We have implemented 24 projects with an investment of 35 million euros. Our goal is to ensure passengers pass smoothly from entry to boarding. In this context, we have increased the number of X-ray machines at both the metro and main entrances and expanded these areas. We have also increased the number of passport control points for both arrivals and departures, making the transition smoother for our passengers. We plan to alleviate congestion by removing some commercial areas and redesigning underutilized spaces to expand both waiting and walking areas for passengers. We received complaints about the toilets, and we have started renovations; five are completed, and we will finish four more this year. A total of 24 projects are ongoing simultaneously. We are increasing our parking capacity from 5,300 to 6,400 vehicles. The second runway is operational, which will ease air traffic. Once we ensure this relief at the terminal, passenger transitions will be faster, more effective, and more comfortable,” he said.

“We are lifting Istanbul's burden”

Continuing his remarks, Ersoy said, “Last year, we hosted a total of 37.1 million passengers, both domestic and international. This year, there is an 18% increase. We are the second airport in Europe with the highest passenger growth in our category. An integrated system operates here, with airlines, ground services, and the control tower working together. Our goal is to ensure passengers can board their flights as quickly as possible. Other factors, such as the heavy use of European airspace for events like the Olympics, can cause delays, but our airlines have taken precautions. Compared to a month ago, the situation is much better now. Even in Europe, the highest on-time departure rate in July was around 56%. Today, our airlines have increased this rate to around 80%. We are lifting Istanbul’s burden. Last year, 20.2 million tourist passengers arrived. There are also 16 million residents. As two airports in such a metropolis, we are sharing the load. We might collaborate more in the future, especially regarding customer satisfaction,” he said.