iGA Istanbul Airport, home of Turkish Airlines, has hit a milestone with the implementation of Europe’s first-ever triple runway operation.
With the implementation of the new system, iGA Istanbul Airport (IST/LTFM) can simultaneously handle take-offs and landings on three of its runways, significantly increasing operational capacity as it moves towards 200 million passengers per year.
Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu was in the Air Traffic Control tower to issue the first command to Turkish Airlines pilots, allowing three simultaneous take-offs to happen for departing scheduled flights for the first time.
Mehmet Kalyoncu, Board Member of iGA Istanbul Airport said: “I am proud to state that as of today we are officially launching triple independent runway operations at iGA Istanbul Airport, setting a precedent in Europe and once again elevating Türkiye to the top in the field of aviation. This is not only a technical achievement for us, but also a strategic milestone.
“We have taken a significant step toward our goal of becoming one of the leading centres equipped with advanced technologies in global aviation. Today, we are commissioning the triple independent runway operations, a key pillar of this ecosystem. With this system, we are increasing our hourly air traffic capacity from 120 to 148 aircraft movements. This means not only Istanbul, but also Europe’s airspace will become more efficient. Istanbul is no longer just a destination—it is now a global air transport hub.”
The move towards triple runway operations began in 2022, and during that time, 500 air traffic controllers underwent 4,500 hours of training in preparation for the new system of operation.
The airport also works in close cooperation with Eurocontrol to manage integration into European airspace.
iGA Istanbul Airport was originally built with this system in mind, and its design was influenced by it. Since it opened in 2018, it has grown to become Europe’s second busiest airport in just six years and has become one of the key gateways between Europe and Asia, with Turkish Airlines flying to more countries than any other airline.
