Phase one of Istanbul’s new airport with an annual capacity of 90 million passengers is ready for its official opening on Monday, reported Anadolu Agency.
The inauguration ceremony will take place on Republic Day, the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, with the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and more than 50 foreign leaders, ministers, and high-level officials.
The $7.2 billion first stage, which was built in nearly three years through a public-private partnership model, is among a set of mega projects planned as part of a series of objectives for Turkey’s 2023 centennial.
On Monday, two runways - 3,750 and 4,100 meters long - will go into service as a part of the first phase, including three separate airstrips.
According to the IGA consortium, the contractor and operator of the project, over the next 10 years the new airport will reach an annual capacity of 200 million passengers with the completion of all four phases with six runways.
Turkish airports welcomed nearly 164 million people between January and September this year, while over 31 percent of air passengers used Turkey’s busiest airport, Istanbul Ataturk Airport.
Following the country’s national flag carrier Turkish Airlines’ shift to the new airport by the end of this year, the Ataturk Airport campus will transition to other uses, such as training activities, aviation fairs, and civil use.
At full capacity, Istanbul’s new airport is set to become a global aviation hub by hosting more than 100 airlines and flights to over 300 destinations around the world.
Turkish authorities have launched a full-scale investigation after a shooting outside a building hosting the Israeli consulate in Istanbul left two attackers dead, one wounded, and several police officers injured
The leadership of “We Continue the Change” (PP), including Asen Vassilev and deputy chairman Nikolai Denkov, met with Bulgarian emigrants in Istanbul, alongside PP-DB list leaders from Shumen and Kardzhali
Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport is entering the summer 2026 season with a significantly expanded flight network, offering more destinations and greater connectivity across Europe and beyond
NATO is strengthening air defenses in southern Turkey with the deployment of a new Patriot missile system to Incirlik Air Base, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.
NATO is weighing options to expand its missile defense footprint in Turkey amid concerns over potential threats from neighboring Iran, according to information cited by Bloomberg from sources familiar with the talks
Specialists in the real estate and tourism sectors are forecasting a notable rise in the prices of vacation properties in Bulgaria, with estimates pointing to an increase of between 25% and 30%
The ski zone above Bansko is set to welcome visitors during the Easter holidays with exceptional late-season conditions, as snow cover near Todorka Peak has reached close to three meters
President Iliana Yotova has called for Bulgaria to be actively promoted as a safe and competitively priced destination in order to secure a strong tourist season, during a meeting with caretaker Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva
From May 20, 2026, around half of Bulgarian short-term rental listings are expected to disappear from platforms such as Airbnb and Booking, as new EU rules on digital registration and data exchange come into force
Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport is entering the summer 2026 season with a significantly expanded flight network, offering more destinations and greater connectivity across Europe and beyond
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has elevated the travel risk level for Cuba to Level 4, advising citizens to avoid travel to the country except in situations of extreme necessity.
Aniventure Comic Con Returns to Bulgaria with Star Guest Christopher Judge!
Global Fuel Shock: Oil Jumps Over 40% Since Iran War Began
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