The biggest move in Turkish aviation history is about to happen!
For 45 hours, Atatürk International Airport is set to migrate over 1,800 staff and approximately 47,300 tons of equipment via road to Istanbul Airport. “The combined size of the equipment we are going to transfer would cover 33 football pitches,” says Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, M. İlker Aycı.
Atatürk Airport’s final operational flight will be an Atatürk-Singapore flight, and the ‘Great Move’ will commence after the ceasing of all other scheduled passenger flights from 02:00 and 14:00 of the 6th of April. Istanbul Airport will also be closed at the same times to accommodate the move.
Turkish Airlines, the flagship aviation service of the airport, has already canceled several flights between the 5th and 20th of April, and travellers are advised to regularly check their flights for rearrangements.
Atatürk Airport, will remain open for cargo and VIP passenger flights, but will be handing over the reputation as the region’s highest point of traffic to Istanbul Airport.
The mega-airport that forms is set to compete with other international hubs such as Dubai and Europe. İGA CEO and general manager of Istanbul Airport Kadri Samsunlu says “As a major hub at the intersection of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, we will bring the world closer together.”
With the completion of the new wing of the airport and the migration of
Atatürk’s main aviation utilities, Istanbul Airport will claim the title of ‘World’s Largest Airport’ in terms of land area, standing at three and a half times the size of the 250 million-square-foot Beijing Capital International.
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