The new metro line, which will connect Istanbul's third airport to the city center and pass through Istanbul's six districts, is estimated to cost TL 4.9 billion ($1.68 billion).

Aimed at easing the access to Istanbul's new airport, the control of the building of the 13-station metro line was taken over by the Transportation, Maritime and Communications Ministry.

According to an announcement in the Official Gazette on Thursday, Gayrettepe-third airport and Halkalı-third airport metro lines will connect the third airport to the city center and will be constructed by the ministry.

The metro line that will pass through Istanbul's Şişli, Kağıthane, Eyüp, Arnavutköy, Başakşehir and Küçükçekmece districts will provide additional relief for Istanbul's congested traffic, the Sabah daily reports.

With a total length of 66 kilometers, the metro line starting from Gayrettepe will be 33 kilometers in length and the journey from the city center to the new airport will only take 30 minutes.

The metro line will consist of 13 stations. While the first seven-station construction phase is planned to be completed within the first quarter of 2018, the second phase is set to be constructed by 2021.

The metro line stations starting from Gayrettepe will be followed by Kağıthane, Kemerburgaz, Göktürk, İhsaniye, Third airport 2, Third airport 1, Arnavutköy 1, Arnavutköy 2, Kayaşehir Metrokent, Olimpiyatköy, Halkalı Stadium and Halkalı stations, respectively.