Türkiye's largest air hub, Istanbul Airport, became Europe's busiest air cargo center last year, according to Airports International Council (ACI) Europe's 2024 Annual Traffic Report released on Tuesday.
Istanbul Airport handled 1.97 million tons of cargo last year, up nearly 40% from 2023.
"IGA Istanbul Airport is Europe’s Busiest Air Cargo Hub," the airport said on its official social media account on X.
"According to ACI Europe’s 2024 Annual Traffic Report, we are now Europe's busiest air cargo airport, handling 1.97 million tons of cargo – an impressive 39.6% increase from the previous year," it added.
Commenting on the report, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abulkadir Uraloğlu noted on Wednesday that the airport is expected to play an even bigger role globally in the coming years.
“Istanbul Airport has moved to the top of Europe with 1.97 million tons of cargo, leaving Frankfurt, known as Europe’s largest cargo airport, behind,” Uraloğlu said in a written statement.
Mentioning that air cargo transportation in Europe grew by 13.2% in 2024, he further said: “Our airport grew by 39.6% in cargo transportation compared to the previous year. If this momentum continues, Istanbul Airport will be one of the most important centers in Europe and the world.”
Citing data, the minister said that Frankfurt Airport, the busiest airport in Germany, followed Istanbul Airport, handling some 1.95 million tons of cargo. Meanwhile, Paris Charles de Gaulle followed with 1.87 million tons of cargo.
“London Heathrow Airport came in fourth place with 1.53 million tons, while Amsterdam Schiphol Airport came in fifth place with 1.49 million tons of cargo. Leipzig/Halle Airport, which was in the top five in previous years, fell to sixth place with 1.38 million tons," the statement read.
Stating that Istanbul Airport is in the category of "major airports," serving more than 40 million passengers annually, Uraloğlu recalled that it hosted 80.1 million passengers in 2024 and achieved a growth of 5.3% compared to 2023 data.
"When compared to 2019, the pre-pandemic period, it became the airport that achieved the highest growth among major airports with a growth of 16.9%,” the minister said.
The airport on the Black Sea coast of Istanbul was officially opened in 2018. In a short period, it has become a major hub and has received numerous accolades.
It maintained its top position as the busiest air hub in Europe for the third year in 2024, considering average daily flights, according to data from the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol).
