The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, announced that the implementation of “simultaneous triple independent runway operations” at Istanbul Airport will begin on Thursday, April 17.

In his statement, Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu disclosed that the “simultaneous triple independent runway operations” to optimize the use of existing runways at Istanbul Airport will commence at 10:00 on Thursday, April 17.

Explaining the triple independent runway operation, Uraloglu stated, “With this system, three aircraft can land at Istanbul Airport simultaneously. Three aircraft can also take off at the same time. The triple independent runway operation is already in place in the United States. Turkey will be the first country in Europe to implement this practice. The flow of air traffic at Istanbul Airport will be faster, and its dynamic capacity will increase with the triple independent runway operation.” Uraloglu highlighted that the project’s preparations began in the last quarter of 2022. In 2023 and 2024, meetings, risk analyzes, safety assessments, and simulations were conducted in collaboration with EUROCONTROL, the State Airports Administration, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and Turkish Airlines.

Emphasizing that all necessary preparations have been completed in accordance with the safety analysis report prepared by EUROCONTROL, Uraloglu mentioned that a new airspace design was implemented, control systems were adjusted for triple operations, airlines were informed, and air traffic controllers were trained with domestic simulators. Pointing out that Istanbul Airport has been one of the busiest airports in Europe for years, Uraloglu noted that according to the European Aviation Overview Report by EUROCONTROL, an average of 1326 flights per day took place at Istanbul Airport between March 17 and March 23. Uraloglu indicated that with the start of the implementation, Istanbul Airport’s position in Europe will be further strengthened.