Istanbul Airport in 2026: New Runway, Record Traffic, What Changes

The biggest change at Istanbul Airport in 2026 is a new runway. The fourth main runway, 2,820 metres long and the airport's first on an east–west axis, opened on 18 September 2026 and brings the total to six. The airport is also busier than ever. It handled 64.5 million passengers between January and September, and in October it was Europe's busiest airport by daily flights. If you are flying in this winter, the terminal and the passport queues work much as before. What has changed is the scale, so plan your connections and your private airport transfer with that in mind.

Here is what opened, what the numbers show and what it means for your trip.

What opened in September: the fourth runway

President Erdoğan opened the new runway on 18 September 2026. The key facts from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure:

• Size: 2,820 metres long and 45 metres wide, made of concrete.
• Direction: east–west. The airport's other runways (three main and two reserve) all run north–south.
• Cost: €890 million.
• Total: six runways.

The ministry says the runway shortens taxiing and waiting times, especially for domestic and eastbound flights, and gives air traffic controllers more options in crosswinds and bad weather. It sits close to the hangar areas, which also speeds up general aviation.

At an airport this size, a long taxi after landing can add several minutes before you reach the gate, so this matters more than it sounds.

The 2026 numbers

Istanbul Airport has grown again this year, although more slowly than in 2025. The figures come from the State Airports Authority (DHMİ), Airports Council International (ACI) and EUROCONTROL:

On 1 August the airport set a European record with 289,260 passengers in one day, and broke it again on 16 August. The airport's operator, İGA, set a target of close to 90 million passengers for 2026.

Growth is uneven. In the week of 19–25 October, flights were 3% below the same week in 2025, and EUROCONTROL reports Europe–Middle East traffic 14% below 2025 so far this year.

What is planned next

The new runway is part of the airport's second development phase. Two further plans have been announced:

• More terminal capacity. İGA plans to raise annual terminal capacity to 120 million passengers. The CEO has said this will start with adjustments inside the existing terminal. No opening date for a second terminal has been announced.
• More cargo space. Turkish Cargo is enlarging its SmartIST cargo terminal to handle 4.5 million tonnes a year.

In April 2025, Istanbul became the first airport in Europe to run simultaneous operations on three independent parallel runways. According to EUROCONTROL, this raised hourly capacity from 120 to 148 aircraft movements.

Passport control and e-gates: who can use them

Many visitors ask whether they can use the automatic e-gates. Here is how it works now, according to the airport:

• E-passport gates are for Turkish citizens aged 18 and over with a chip passport. There are 30 of them: 16 in arrivals, 10 in departures and 4 in the transfer area.
• Foreign visitors use the staffed passport desks. The departures area has 68 passport control counters.
• Transfer passengers who stay airside do not go through Turkish passport control at all. You only pass through it if you leave the airport, for example on a layover tour.

No change for foreign passport holders had been announced when we checked. For entry rules, see our Turkey visa requirements update.

Punctuality, fog and winter delays

Istanbul Airport has a good record for on-time departures. In the week of 13–19 July 2026, it led Europe's 20 busiest airports with 81% of departures on time. Sabiha Gökçen came second with 78%. Turkish Airlines shared first place among airline groups for arrival punctuality, at 85%.

Winter is different. On 4 March 2026, thick fog over Istanbul made landings at Sabiha Gökçen impossible for several hours. A total of 24 planes were diverted, 13 of them to Istanbul Airport, and ferries were cancelled or delayed on several routes. Fog is mainly a winter and early-spring risk in Istanbul.

Our advice for this winter:

1. Leave a long connection if you change from a long-haul flight to a separate ticket. Two to three hours is a sensible minimum on separate tickets in winter.
2. Know which airport you land at. Istanbul Airport (IST) is on the European side, north of the city. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side. Our page on the Istanbul Airport private transfer explains the drive times from IST.
3. Do not plan a tight first evening. If your flight lands late in the afternoon, keep dinner or a cruise for the next day.

What it means for your trip

For most travellers, the effects are small but useful:

• Shorter taxiing, especially for domestic and eastbound flights, which matters if you connect onward to Cappadocia or eastern Türkiye.
• Busy peak hours. With nearly 1,500 flights a day, queues at check-in, security and passport control can be long at the busiest times of day. Arrive early for international departures.
• More long layovers become tours. With over 340 destinations, many routes connect in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines' own programme for transit passengers is covered on our free Istanbul tour page, and a private guide is the alternative if you want to choose the sights.

If you are flying on to Cappadocia, our Cappadocia day trip from Istanbul with return flights starts with a domestic departure, where the new runway is designed to help most.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Airport VIP Transfer: Private Mercedes Vito to Your Hotel: from $60 per group, 45 to 90 minutes.
• Istanbul Layover Tour: Private Guide and Van from IST or SAW, 6 to 8 Hours: from $550 per person.
• Istanbul Old City Private Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and Grand Bazaar: from $200 per person.
• Cappadocia Day Trip from Istanbul with Return Flights and Lunch: from $343 per person.

More options are on our Istanbul tours page and the Istanbul destination guide.

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