Türkiye's sprawling Istanbul Airport is set to commission its fourth main runway in the coming days, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expected in attendance, a top official announced on Sunday.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said in a statement that the new runway will be inaugurated on Sept. 18.
The work on the new runway was in its final stages, Uraloğlu said earlier this month, as officials had previously announced plans for the opening by the end of the year.
The new runway is expected to further expand the airport's capacity after the air hub became the first in Europe to operate three independent runways simultaneously.
In a written statement on Sunday, Uraloğlu said that Istanbul Airport provides connections to more than 340 destinations through cooperation with over 110 airlines.
He stated that the airport currently operates with a total of five runways, three main and two backup runways, running in a north-south direction.
"We will inaugurate Istanbul Airport's fourth main runway on Sept. 18, with the participation of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," he said.
"With the commissioning of the fourth main runway, we will increase the total number of runways to six," he added.
He also said that the new runway will be the first east-west-oriented runway.
"The new concrete runway, built along the east-west axis, is 2,820 meters (9,250 feet) long and 45 meters wide," he noted.
Uraloğlu highlighted the contribution that the new runway will make to flight operations, especially on domestic routes.
"Especially for domestic flights and routes heading east, we will reduce taxiing times as well as time spent in the air. This will allow us to save both fuel and time," he said.
"The new runway will also contribute to more efficient operations under different weather conditions. With our new east-west runway, we will increase operational flexibility even under adverse weather conditions," he added.
The minister also said they would maximize safety margins for takeoffs and landings and improve on-time departure rates.
