Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu evaluated the January 2026 aviation statistics published by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI). Minister Uraloğlu announced that a total of 17,785,633 passengers were served at airports across Türkiye in January.
Stating that the number of passengers using Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport exceeded 11.1 million, Uraloğlu said, “Nearly one out of every two passengers who chose air travel flew through Istanbul’s airports.”
In January, the number of aircraft take-offs and landings at passenger- and environmentally friendly airports reached 68,371 on domestic routes and 62,749 on international routes. Including overflights, total aircraft traffic amounted to 179,078, representing a 1.8% increase compared to the same month of the previous year.
Passenger traffic totaled 8,200,145 on domestic lines and 9,572,922 on international lines. Including direct transit passengers, total passenger traffic increased by 9.6% year-on-year. During the same period, total cargo traffic handled at airports reached 401,866 tons.
At Istanbul Airport, a total of 45,090 aircraft movements were recorded in January, serving 6,910,808 passengers. Meanwhile, Sabiha Gökçen Airport welcomed 4,189,974 passengers during the same month. Passenger traffic at Sabiha Gökçen Airport increased by 14% compared to January of the previous year.
Airports located in major tourism destinations also experienced significant activity. In January, a total of 2,285,422 passengers were served at İzmir Adnan Menderes, Antalya, Muğla Dalaman, Milas-Bodrum, and Gazipaşa-Alanya airports.
