Istanbul Airport to open new east-west runway on September 18

Istanbul Airport is set to inaugurate its fourth main runway on September 18, 2026, in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The new concrete runway, measuring 2,820 meters in length and 45 meters in width, will be the airport’s first east-west oriented runway.

This expansion will increase the total number of runways at the airport from five to six. According to Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, the new runway is designed to enhance operational capacity, efficiency, and flexibility. It is expected to reduce taxiing and airborne times, particularly for domestic and eastern-bound routes, leading to savings in fuel and time. Additionally, the east-west orientation will improve operational diversity during adverse weather conditions and support the airport’s goal of four-runway management.

Separately, statistics from the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) show that Erzurum Airport served 106,628 passengers in August 2026, with 104,901 of those being domestic travelers. For the period of January to August 2026, the airport handled a total of 845,106 passengers.