Europe's Fastest Growing Aviation Center

Currently, Istanbul Airport operates flights to a total of 146 locations across six continents within three hours, catering to over 120 countries, with 250 international destinations and 50 domestic destinations. The number of flight destinations is expected to reach 350 once the airport is operating at full capacity.

Cargo and Logistics Center

The Republic of Türkiye, only five hours from destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, holds a significant strategic importance for cargo and logistic operations due to its geographical location. With the continuous growth of investments from both domestic and international companies, because of Türkiye's strategic location, iGA Istanbul Airport aspires to become one of the world's largest cargo hubs, contributing significantly to our nation's economy.

Between 2009 and 2017, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for cargo operations increased by 18.7%, while the compound annual growth rate for aircraft movement (ATM - total landing and take-off aircraft movement) increased by 5.5%. The Cargo and Logistics Center at Istanbul Airport extends over an expansive 1.4 million square meter area. This center features both bonded and non-bonded warehouse facilities, boasting a total capacity of 200,000 square meters.

Numerous prominent domestic and international companies offer services in the areas of cargo, logistics, and temporary storage at the Cargo and Logistics Center.

Parking positions for this center, where more than 30 wide-body cargo airplanes can be accommodated simultaneously, are situated in front of the warehouses. The efficient operational infrastructure, that provides access to passenger terminals and distant parking areas, offers great convenience. This structure is highly functional, using service tunnels under the runway and taxi routes to enable seamless connectivity at the airside, without interference from airplane traffic.

The intention is to consolidate the warehouse, agency, customs offices, and all cargo/logistics operations at the iGA Istanbul Airport Cargo Hub. Furthermore, plans are in place to establish a variety of service centers, including banks, cafes, restaurants, dry-cleaning facilities, hair styling salons, postal services, religious spaces, veterinary clinics, health centers, and test laboratories, to cater to the needs of all individuals using the hub for business purposes, particularly the employees of companies situated within the hub. Parking facilities, with a capacity of 4,500 vehicles over an area of 86,000 square meters, are planned for the Cargo and Logistics Center, where traffic density is high. An alternative entrance path enables passengers and employees to access the cargo hub even during peak hours.

The Cargo Hub and Logistics Center hosts several domestic and international companies offering services such as warehousing, temporary storage, duty-free storage, logistics, line maintenance, and airline catering. With its construction on a large area, the center is designed to provide top-tier services to meet the needs of our customers, including storage of import and export cargo products, storage activities for goods with completed customs processes, ground handling services, line maintenance, and airline catering services.

The iGA Istanbul Airport Cargo Hub is fast becoming the world's largest, featuring prominent industry leaders such as Turkish Cargo, Çelebi, Havaş, MNG, UPS, S Sistem, and DHL Express. At the same time, the Cargo Hub has the potential to become a leader in this field, with our Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Center (MRO) dedicated to providing time-sensitive service quality in its aircraft maintenance facilities, which span 700,000 square meters between two parallel runways. Furthermore, the Istanbul Airport Cargo Hub will minimize reliance on foreign sources by establishing a robust infrastructure for the supply of aircraft parts in the aviation sector. It is poised to emerge as a global hub in this domain.

Parking facilities, with a capacity for 18,000 large and small vehicles over an area of 456,000 square meters, are planned for high density traffic areas. Additionally, an alternative entrance will be provided for passengers and employees to access the Cargo Hub during peak hours.

Cargo Hub and Logistics Center Leasing Process

The Group Directorate of the Airport Hub and Rental Areas leases spaces within the Cargo Hub to both domestic and international companies, offering services such as temporary and duty-free storage, handling, airline catering, and line maintenance. Offices ranging in size from 12 to 24 square meters in the Air Cargo Agency Building can be leased periodically to agencies and companies that provide customs consultancy services.

Should you wish to lease land for services such as warehousing, ground handling, airline catering, or line maintenance, or if you are interested in renting office space to provide forwarding and customs consultancy services at the iGA Istanbul Airport Cargo Hub, please contact us at the address and on the channels provided on our contact page.

Our Regional Group Directorate of Cargo and Support is also responsible for coordinating the operational functionality of all these areas.

We cordially invite you to visit iGA Istanbul Airport, which is rapidly becoming the world's largest cargo hub. When submitting your rental request, please provide details of your company and some background information regarding the nature of the business you intend to conduct at the rental location. Each submission will undergo a thorough evaluation, and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Network Map

iGA Istanbul Airport has established itself as a formidable force within the aviation sector. Amidst the unprecedented global-scale crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, we, along with all other airports, started preparations for the post-COVID era. At iGA Istanbul Airport, our strategic location connects the Western and Eastern hemispheres, as well as the Northern and Southern regions, positioning us at the heart of global connectivity. Our airport is strategically located, enabling access to 20 million people within a two-hour drive and 200 million people within a two-hour flight. We offer unparalleled connectivity with over 300 destinations worldwide, including more than 50 destinations in Africa, more than 100 in Europe, and more than 50 domestic flights within Türkiye.

Our existing infrastructure is strategically designed to support future expansion plans. Upon completion of the first phase, we reached an annual passenger capacity of 90 million, which is expected to rise to 200 million after all four phases are completed.

Prior to the pandemic, our airport hosted 66 airline companies; this number has since increased to 87. Since its inauguration, over 30 new airlines have commenced operations at iGA Istanbul Airport. We take pride in our record of being the busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger numbers in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

In the post-pandemic era, our aviation strategies aim to establish new connections and attract airlines primarily from China, but also including Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Gulf region countries. We are also focusing on enhancing point-to-point (P2P) traffic to attract tourists from Europe, and catering to the cruise segment from North America. In addition, initiating direct flights to Australia remains a top priority for us.

Unlike Northern Europe, the absence of an Aviation Tax in Türkiye, the lack of slot and capacity restrictions at our airport, our 24/7 operations, and our continuous efforts to enhance the operational efficiency of each airline are some of the key strategic aspects that bolster our competitive edge.

Our airport is firmly committed to customer-centricity. We are confidently progressing towards becoming the world's premier transfer hub by concentrating on "Gen Z," passengers over the age of 65 years, family travelers, and tailoring unique services for the international markets, as well as developing new routes.