DOUBLE RECORD AT ISTANBUL SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT
While Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (İSG) International Airport was experiencing congestion due to Eid al-Fitr, an all-time record was broken in passenger traffic and flight numbers on March 29, 2025.
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (İSG) International Airport, Türkiye's second busiest airport and Europe's tenth, completed 2024 with a record 41.5 million passengers. It broke two new records during the Ramadan Feast and mid-term break periods. On March 29, 2025, the airport reached an all-time high of 65,864 passengers on domestic routes and 75,296 passengers on international routes, totaling 141,160. On the same day, the airport also broke the all-time record for the highest number of flights, with a total of 777 flights, 344 domestic and 433 international.
The previous record for passenger numbers was 134,289 on August 10, 2024. The highest flight record was 740 flights on November 24, 2024.
It was previously announced that an 8% increase in flight numbers and passenger traffic was expected at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport due to the Ramadan Feast and school holidays, which will take place between March 28 and April 6, and the summer season schedule starting on March 30. An estimated 3,200 domestic and 4,200 international flights are expected between March 28 and April 6, with passenger traffic expected to reach 550,000 domestic and 690,000 international guests.
According to the Airports Council of Europe (ACI EUROPE) January 2025 Air Traffic Report, ISG emerged as the fastest-growing airport among major airports (over 40 million passenger capacity) in Europe. With a 16.2% passenger increase in January, Sabiha Gökçen ranked 8th, surpassing London Gatwick, Rome Fiumicino, Madrid, and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports. Based on the same period performance in 2024, it would rank 1st.
Known as the "City Airport" for its proximity to Istanbul and surrounding centers, Sabiha Gökçen Airport connects Istanbul with a total of 142 destinations, including 38 domestic and 104 international routes, in 52 countries.
Density measures were taken at the airport
Passengers can enjoy a comfortable and trouble-free journey at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport thanks to comprehensive preparations made ahead of the expected rush hour.
In this context, additional planning has been implemented for operations, security, and cleaning services, as well as increased staffing during peak hours. Capacity expansion efforts are ongoing at international passport control points, security checkpoints, and e-passport counters, while the number of passport control points for arriving and departing passengers has been increased. With the recent addition of 18, the total number of e-passport counters across the terminal has reached 34.
To reduce passenger processing times and queues in the terminal, the number of X-ray machines has been increased from 88 to 110. To expand the airport's technological capabilities and ensure a comfortable stay for guests, the time limit on Wi-Fi service has been completely lifted throughout the terminal as of March 2025, and free, unlimited Wi-Fi access has been implemented. The capacity of the terminal's cooling and ventilation systems has also been increased. Following the "triangle parking lot," which provides an additional 708 vehicles in the open parking area, the Holistic Parking Project, which will increase existing parking capacity by 23 percent with an investment of €8 million, is ongoing.