Ankara, July 11, 2025 – The Europe Today: Türkiye’s airports welcomed a total of 108.8 million air passengers in the first half of 2025, reflecting the continued strength of the country’s aviation sector, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced on Thursday.
“In the January–June period, domestic and international passenger traffic reached 46.6 million and 62.2 million, respectively, while the overall number of passengers, including direct transit travelers, stood at 108.8 million,” Uraloğlu said in a formal statement.
The minister highlighted that aircraft traffic also saw a substantial rise. In June alone, 89,696 aircraft movements were recorded on domestic routes and 91,608 on international routes. When including overflight operations, the total aircraft traffic reached 223,459 movements for the month.
Between January and June, aircraft takeoffs and landings at Türkiye’s airports totaled 454,841 on domestic routes and 410,226 on international routes. Factoring in overflights, total aircraft movements reached approximately 1.1 million — marking a 5.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized the scale of Türkiye’s aviation activity, noting that the number of air travelers served in six months exceeded the combined populations of 18 European Union countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ireland, Sweden, and Greece.
During the same six-month period, air cargo traffic across Türkiye’s airports reached 2.3 million tons, further underscoring the country’s growing role as a major hub for logistics and trade.
Istanbul’s Airports Lead in Passenger Volume
Istanbul Airport remained the country’s busiest aviation hub, handling a total of 39.1 million passengers in the first half of 2025 — with 8.1 million on domestic flights and 30.9 million on international routes.
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, the city’s second major airport, recorded 22.1 million passengers, comprising 9.6 million domestic and 12.5 million international travelers.
Strong Performance at Tourism Hubs
Türkiye’s key tourism destinations — including Izmir, Antalya, Muğla, and Alanya — also experienced significant air traffic. Airports in these regions collectively served 23.9 million passengers from January to June, including 8.5 million on domestic flights and 15.4 million on international routes.
The robust figures reflect Türkiye’s strategic investment in airport infrastructure, its growing tourism appeal, and the resilience of its aviation sector.
