Türkiye opened the fourth main runway at Istanbul Airport on Friday, with officials saying it will reduce taxiing and airborne times while helping airlines save fuel.
The new east-west runway, made with an investment of 890 million euros (over $1 billion), is the airport's first operating in that direction, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the launch event.
Istanbul Airport currently has three main and two reserve runways oriented north-south. The new runway brings the total number of runways to six, including four main runways.
"The fourth main runway we are putting into service today, along with additional investments, will make significant contributions to our airport, which is a world leader in global connectivity," Erdoğan said.
Istanbul Airport is ultimately planned to have nine runways, comprising six main and three reserve runways.
The new runway is 2,820 meters long and 45 meters wide.
Because aircraft will be able to take off in an east-west direction, they will no longer need to turn east again after departure.
This is expected to reduce taxiing and airborne times, resulting in savings in fuel and time.
Its closeness to the hangar areas will speed up general aviation operations, said Erdoğan, adding that it will reduce taxiing and waiting times on domestic and eastbound routes.
"It will result in savings in fuel, time and emissions. Even under adverse weather conditions, it will maximize operational flexibility, takeoff and landing safety, and on-time departure rates," he said.
Plans for simultaneous 4-runway operations
The new runway will initially be used only for takeoffs, according to officials.
It will be used particularly for flights to Anatolia, Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
The airport also plans to introduce simultaneous four-runway operations in the future.
Istanbul Airport began simultaneous independent triple-parallel runway operations in April 2025, becoming the first airport in Europe to do so.
The gleaming glass-and-steel structure along the Black Sea coast has become one of the world's most important transit centers since becoming fully operational in April 2019.
Erdoğan described it as "one of the most visionary investments ever made in Istanbul."
"With Istanbul Airport, our city has gained a monumental achievement. Our country’s brand value has increased even further on a global scale," he noted.
Istanbul has overtaken London Heathrow to become the world's most internationally connected airport, a report by global travel intelligence partner OAG said Wednesday.
It has possible connections to 337 global destinations, with national flag carrier Turkish Airlines operating 80% of flights at the airport, the report said.
Istanbul, meanwhile, recently overtook Heathrow as Europe's busiest airport by passenger numbers. Industry groups and officials, including the London hub's CEO himself, had been expecting that to happen this year or the next.
The hub can handle 90 million passengers annually in the current phase. The figure is nothing compared to its potential capacity to serve 200 million after completing all phases.
Istanbul Airport served a record 84.5 million passengers in 2025, making it the second-busiest airport in Europe after London Heathrow and the eighth-busiest worldwide.
It aims to reach the 90 million-passenger mark this year.
The airport reached 8.15 million passengers last July, earning the title of Europe's busiest aviation hub, said Erdoğan.
On Aug. 16, it broke the daily passenger record for both Türkiye and Europe with 291,000 passengers. On Aug. 30, it set a new all-time flight record with 1,787 flights.
'Unique' position on world map
Erdoğan said Istanbul Airport has an employment impact exceeding 300,000 and contributes approximately 2.2% of Türkiye's national income, or $24.2 billion
"By 2030, we project that activities related to Istanbul Airport will generate 472,000 jobs and $44 billion in revenue," he noted.
The number of active airports Türkiye has risen to 58 from 26 in 2002, with the government renovating 16 previously inactive airports and building 16 new ones.
The number is expected to reach 60 as airports currently under construction are completed.
Passenger traffic on domestic and international routes rose to a record 247 million in 2025, putting Türkiye third in Europe and seventh globally.
The count reached 167.5 million in the first eight months of this year, said Erdoğan.
"As Türkiye, we occupy a truly unique position on the world map," he noted.
"One-and-a-half billion people from 67 countries can easily reach our country with just a four-hour flight. When we factor in land, sea and rail routes, Türkiye's connectivity infrastructure becomes even more evident."