Sabiha Gökçen Airport hits record daily passenger and flight numbers

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport set a new historical record on August 9, handling 935 flights and 179,789 passengers in a single day. According to the Airport Authority (HEAŞ), 56.5% of flights were international and 43.5% were domestic. Passenger traffic followed a similar split, with 56% traveling on international routes and 44% on domestic ones. HEAŞ General Manager Faruk Kacır stated the record demonstrates the airport’s operational capacity and passenger trust.

In July 2026, the airport served a total of 4,489,072 passengers. International travel accounted for approximately 54% of this volume, with Ercan, Stansted, and Düsseldorf being the busiest international routes. Domestic travel saw high demand in summer tourism hubs, specifically Antalya, İzmir, and Milas-Bodrum.

Separately, Pegasus Airlines reported an 8% increase in passenger numbers for July 2026, carrying 4.27 million passengers. While total capacity grew by 10%, the load factor saw a slight decrease of 1 percentage point to 87%. For the first seven months of 2026, Pegasus carried 24.64 million passengers, a 4% increase compared to the same period last year.