Over 1.1M flights use Turkish airspace in first half of year

More than 1.11 million flights, including 237,919 transit overflights, passed through Turkish airspace in the first six months of the year, according to data from the State Airports Authority General Directorate (DHMI).

An aircraft crossed Turkish airspace every 14 seconds during the January-June period as passenger traffic continued to grow.

Domestic flight traffic totaled 471,870, while international flight traffic reached 404,197 in the first half of 2026.

Türkiye served 112 million passengers on domestic and international flights during the period, up from 34.5 million passengers in 2002.

Since 2002, the number of countries with which Türkiye has air transport agreements has increased from 81 to 175, while the number of countries served by international flights has risen from 50 to 175. International destinations have expanded from 60 to 356.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the number of active airports had increased from 26 in 2002 to 58, with Yozgat and Bayburt-Gumushane airports expected to raise the total to 60.

"We will reopen the Aydin Cildir Airport for commercial flights, while Etimesgut Airport began operations during the NATO Ankara Summit. The air hub in the capital will be used both as a protocol and a backup airport," Uraloglu said.

"We will also build our third airport over the sea in Trabzon," he added.

Uraloglu said aviation investments over the past 22 years had helped Türkiye establish one of the world's most extensive flight networks.

"Türkiye is at the center of 67 countries housing 1.5 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of $51.2 trillion, all within a four-hour flight radius," he said.

"We will continue to ensure that Türkiye's civil aviation becomes a rising star worldwide, raise the bar for passenger-focused services, and establish the necessary infrastructure through environmentally friendly projects," Uraloglu added.