Ankara: Trkiye's airports served a total of 138,758,202 passengers in the first seven months of 2026, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu. This impressive figure surpasses the population of 18 European Union member states combined.

According to Anadolu Agency, Minister Uraloglu provided further insights into the country's aviation activities. In July alone, the number of aircraft landing at and departing from Trkiye's environmentally friendly airports reached 98,158 on domestic routes and 101,160 on international routes, culminating in a total air traffic of 249,520, including overflights. Domestic passenger traffic for July was recorded at 10,478,151, while international passenger traffic stood at 16,311,398, bringing the total number of passengers served to 26,797,638, including direct transit passengers.

For the period from January to July, aircraft traffic at Trkiye's airports totaled 570,028 on domestic routes and 505,357 on international routes, reaching a cumulative figure of 1,363,506, including overflights. In terms of cargo traffic, July witnessed a total of 527,744 tons, with 102,018 tons on domestic routes and 425,726 tons on international routes. Cargo traffic for the January-July period reached 3,027,448 tons, comprising 542,898 tons on domestic routes and 2,484,550 tons on international routes.

Istanbul Airport played a significant role, handling 50,748 aircraft movements in July, including 12,190 domestic and 38,558 international flights. The airport served 8,146,411 passengers during the same month, with 1,816,429 domestic and 6,329,982 international passengers. Between January and July, Istanbul Airport recorded 313,019 aircraft movements, which included 70,461 domestic and 242,558 international flights, accommodating a total of 48,068,524 passengers, comprising 10,051,727 domestic and 38,016,797 international passengers.

At Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport, July saw 25,355 aircraft movements, including 11,301 domestic and 14,054 international flights. The airport served 4,489,072 passengers in July, with 2,081,886 domestic and 2,407,186 international passengers. Over the first seven months, Sabiha Gokcen Airport managed 160,890 aircraft movements, serving 28,014,566 passengers, including 12,932,511 domestic and 15,082,055 international passengers.

The data also highlighted Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which handled 2,444 aircraft movements in July and 15,309 in the first seven months of 2026.

In addition to the major airports, Trkiye's airports serving key tourism destinations reported handling 32,189,634 passengers in the first seven months, comprising 11,648,259 domestic and 20,541,375 international passengers. These airports recorded 219,278 aircraft movements, with 88,718 domestic and 130,560 international flights. Notably, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport served 7,406,646 passengers, Antalya Airport served 19,209,979, Mugla Dalaman Airport served 2,739,692, Mugla Milas-Bodrum Airport served 2,348,806, and Gazipasa-Alanya Airport recorded a total passenger traffic of 484,511 during the period.