It's Finally Happening: Istanbul's Airport Is Moving
After much anticipation and a few delays, the move from Istanbul's Ataturk airport to the city's new mega airport is finally underway.
Turkish Airlines said that "The Great Move" had started as of 3am this morning, starting the massive undertaking of moving all of the carrier's operations to the new airport.
It will take the airline nearly two days to complete, officially ending on April 6 at 11:59pm. Once finished, all commercial passenger operations will be based out of the new hub, now just called Istanbul Airport.
The final Turkish Airlines flight bound for Singapore will depart Ataturk Airport at 2am on Saturday and the first flight from Istanbul Airport will leave for Ankara at 2pm. During those 12 hours both airports will be closed for all passenger flights.
There was a soft launch for Istanbul Airport in October and a few domestic and regional flights have been operating from there while the official opening date kept getting pushed back.
The move is a massive venture, requiring transport of aircraft and equipment, enough to cover 33 soccer fields.
"We are conducting the biggest transportation operation in aviation history," said Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, M. Ilker Ayci.
Bilal Eksi, CEO of Turkish Airlines, added that that the airline is using 686 semi trucks and 1,800 people to transport more than 10,000 pieces of equipment weighing 47,300 tons.
Istanbul Airport was using the IATA code ISL up until now, and will inherit the IST code from Ataturk. Ataturk will take the code ISL and will be used for charter, government and cargo flights.
Turkey has big plans for its new airport, which cost $8 billion to build. When it opens it will be one of the biggest in the world, measuring in at 1.47 million-square-meters and able to process about 90 million passengers a year. Over the next five to eight years it will add more terminals to the airport to serve up to 200 million passengers each year.
It's an emotional day for Turkish Airlines employees who will have to say bye to their longtime home of Ataturk airport, a base that saw the rise of Turkish to a large international airline.
Turkish was constricted at Ataturk and the bigger airport will allow the carrier to grow its fleet and operations. It plans on increasing its fleet from 338 aircraft to 476 over the next four years, Reuters reports.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.