Istanbul Airports Served Over 78 Million Passengers in June 2026

Istanbul's two major airports delivered services to more than 78 million passengers in June 2026, marking a notable rise in both domestic and international traffic.

Airport Traffic Snapshots

■Domestic flights: 91,987, International flights: 84,961; total 221,826 movements with over‑flights.

■Domestic passenger count: 9,374,831; International passenger count: 13,541,166; total 22,924,169 including direct transits.

■Cargo volume: 85,636 tonnes domestically, 399,307 tonnes internationally, totaling 484,943 tonnes.

■January‑June period: Combined 1,113,986 flights; passenger traffic reached 111,960,564.

Regional Growth and Momentum

■June domestic flight traffic rose 2.1% year‑over‑year compared with June 2025.

■Overall passenger traffic increased 2.6% versus the same period last year.

■Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen together served 63,447,607 passengers in the first half of the year, surpassing the combined population of 78 Turkish provinces.

Mega Projects and Strategic Significance

■Istanbul Airport: June recorded 45,668 movements, serving 7,119,838 passengers.

■Sabiha Gökçen: Identical June figures of 45,668 movements and 7,119,838 passengers.

■Atatürk Airport logged 2,377 movements in June and 12,865 over the six‑month span.

Investment and Fiscal Impact

■Tourism‑focused airports (Izmir, Antalya, Muğla) moved 23,358,057 passengers in six months, directly boosting tourism revenues and related service sectors.

■Rising passenger and cargo volumes translate into 3‑5% annual uplift in airport‑operator revenues and take‑off/landing licence fees.

Expert Commentary (Hakan Çelik): The competitive expansion of Istanbul's twin hubs fuels not only tourism but also logistics and foreign‑trade flows. Sustaining this traffic surge will necessitate higher capital expenditures on airport infrastructure, expanding Airline Tax revenues in the state budget. In the short term, the uplift supports a positive foreign‑exchange balance, while long‑term prospects include improved profit margins and new investment opportunities in airline routes and airport service bundles.