TÜRKIYE AND EASTERN EUROPE
Türkiye
Turkish Airlines' Istanbul hub, Pegasus and a large aerospace and MRO industry make Türkiye the region's biggest aviation market.
Market overview
Türkiye has one of Europe's largest air markets. Its airports handled a record 247.2 million passengers in 2025, up 7.1%: 145.3 million international and 101.6 million domestic. Istanbul Airport handled 84.4 million, and Sabiha Gökçen grew 17% to 48.4 million on the strength of low-cost and transfer traffic. The tourism airports, led by Antalya, together handled 62.9 million. Turkish Airlines is the main driver of demand. It had 485 aircraft at the end of June 2025 and plans more than 800 by 2033, with a fully new-generation fleet by 2035. It has announced orders for 75 Boeing 787s (50 firm) for delivery from 2029 to 2034, and for 150 737 MAX (100 firm), which depend on engine talks. Fleet growth on this scale needs heavy maintenance, engine and component support, cabin refits, simulators and training. Türkiye's own MRO and parts makers will compete for that work, so partnering with local firms can help foreign suppliers.
At a glance
- Main hubs
- Istanbul Airport; Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen; Antalya
- Flag carrier
- Turkish Airlines
- Airport operator
- State Airports Authority (DHMI) and concession operators ↗
- Training body
- Turkish Airlines Flight Training Center
Global hub airlinelarge MRO basetourism airportsspace programme
Key facts
- 247.2 million airport passengers in 2025 (up 7.1%): 145.3 million international and 101.6 million domestic (DHMI, Jan 2026).
- Istanbul Airport: 84.4 million passengers in 2025 (up 5%). Sabiha Gökçen: 48.4 million (up 17%).
- Tourism airports: 62.9 million passengers and 424,870 aircraft movements in 2025.
- Turkish Airlines fleet: 485 aircraft at the end of June 2025, with a target of more than 800 by 2033 (2025).
- Boeing orders: 75 787s (50 firm, 25 options) for delivery 2029–2034, and 150 737 MAX (100 firm, 50 options), the MAX order depending on talks with CFM (2025).
Key figures
Passengers carried (2023)
125,940,241
2023 · rank 3 of 52
2019–2023
Air freight, million tonne-km (2023)
8,367
2023 · rank 5 of 52
2019–2023
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0).
Did you know
Istanbul Airport is among Europe's busiest airports.
Typical bottlenecks in Türkiye
- Scaling MRO and engineering capacity for third-party work — Airworthiness & CAMO · Fleet & asset management
- Improving ramp and ground operations at peak seasons — Airports & ground operations · Quality, safety & compliance
- Building a business plan for a new base, route or service — Airline strategy & business plans
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