Passenger traffic at Turkish airports rise 8 percent

Turkish airports served 14.7 million passengers in the first month of 2024, pointing to an 8.1 percent increase compared to January 2023, according to data from the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ).

International passengers rose by 12 percent to 7.7 million, while the domestic passenger tally was up 4.2 percent to around 7.1 million people.

Istanbul Airport saw a 6 percent year-on-year increase in total passenger traffic last month to 6 million.

Some 4.8 million international travelers went through the mega airport in January, marking a 7 percent increase from a year ago. Domestic passenger traffic at the airport grew by 1 percent to 1.23 million.

Istanbul Airport, which welcomed 76 million travelers, aims to serve 85 million passengers in 2024, Selahattin Bilgen, acting chief executive officer of İGA Istanbul, said last week.

Total passenger traffic at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, also in Istanbul, grew 13 percent to 3.2 million, with international passengers rising 18 percent annually to 1.7 million.

The number of aircraft taking off and landing at the airports was 61,467 on domestic routes and 53,224 on international routes. The total aircraft traffic reached 155,221, including overpasses.

Some 337,443 tons of cargo and mail were handled at the airports last month, according to DHMİ.

In 2023, Turkish airports served more than 214 million passengers, up 18 percent from the previous year.

International passengers rose 19 percent to 123 million, while domestic passengers increased 16 percent to 91 million.