iGA Istanbul Airport opens fourth runway

• iGA Istanbul Airport has inaugurated its fourth main runway, constructed as part of its Phase 2 investment plan, at a ceremony on Friday 18 September attended by President of the Republic of Türkiye
• Completed with an investment of €890 million, the fourth runway is iGA Istanbul Airport’s first East-West runway.
• It will reduce airborne holding and taxi times, particularly for domestic flights and eastbound routes, delivering significant fuel and time savings even in adverse weather conditions.

iGA Istanbul Airport, ranked #1 globally for hub connectivity by ACI Europe, has officially launched its fourth main runway, at a ceremony attended by Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

It is the first investment to be delivered and completed as part of İGA Istanbul Airport’s Phase 2 expansion plan. 

The fourth main runway has been completed with an investment of €890 million, alongside Florentia Village, Türkiye’s first luxury designer outlet project built to international standards, which was also inaugurated at the ceremony. Florentia Village was completed in 1.5 years with an investment of approximately €180 million through a partnership between Kalyon Construction and Italy’s RDM-Fingen Group.

Together with the recent opening of the 485-room Hilton Istanbul Airport and the JETEX-İGA Terminal to serve private aviation passengers, iGA Istanbul Airport continues to strengthen Istanbul’s growing importance as a leading global aviation hub.     

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, iGA Chairman of the Board Cemal Kalyoncu explained how, through these latest investments the airport is contributing to the “Century of Türkiye” vision set out under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Kalyoncu said, “The fourth runway is an important milestone in a landmark project that is turning Türkiye’s global aspirations into a reality. Istanbul Airport is the realisation of the great vision that our esteemed President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has set out for Türkiye. We’ve worked with all our efforts to achieve the goal of establishing a leading global transfer hub in Istanbul.”   

With the fourth main runway entering service, the total number of runways at iGA Istanbul Airport has increased to six. The new concrete runway, which runs along an East-West axis, is 2,820 metres long and 45 metres wide, and joins the airport’s three main and two auxiliary runways aligned along the North-South axis. Following the successful implementation of “Triple Independent Parallel Runway Operations” in April 2025 - a first in Europe - the addition of the fourth main runway to the system will further increase iGA Istanbul Airport’s operational capacity, efficiency and flexibility.

Kalyoncu noted that Florentia Village, which brings together leading global luxury and premium fashion brands with prominent Turkish brands under one roof, has brought €180 million in foreign capital into Türkiye, adding that the project is expected to welcome more than 15 million visitors annually.

He said: “At a time of significant global uncertainty, we’re reassured by the international organiations that are continuing to choose Türkiye and Istanbul Airport for investment. Their confidence in Istanbul is a strong indication that Türkiye continues to be seen as an island of economic stability.”  He added that the team is proud to have now delivered four major projects that will continue to strengthen Türkiye’s international brand value.

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