The surge in travel during for the Eid al-Fitr holiday has propelled Türkiye's second biggest airport to record-breaking numbers in both passenger traffic and flight operations.
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, located on Istanbul's Asian side, served about 141,160 travelers on March 29, a new daily high, it announced on Monday.
That surpassed the previous record of 134,289 passengers.
The surge came amid travel rush for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
According to airport officials, domestic travelers accounted for 65,864 passengers, while international travelers made up 75,296.
Flight operations also hit an all-time high on the same day, with a total of 777 flights conducted – 344 on domestic and 433 on international routes. That marked an increase from the previous record of 740 flights.
Sabiha Gökçen's performance aligns with its recognition as one of Europe’s fastest-growing airports.
According to the European Airport Council’s (ACI EUROPE) January Air Traffic Report, the Turkish civil aviation hub ranks among the fastest-growing "Major Airports" in Europe, defined as airports with a capacity exceeding 40 million passengers.
In January, the airport achieved a 16.2% increase in passenger numbers, surpassing prominent hubs like London Gatwick, Rome Fiumicino, Madrid and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. It climbed to eighth place in the European rankings and recorded the highest growth compared to the same period last year.
Sabiha Gökçen's passenger count reached a record of nearly 41.5 million in 2024, up from 37.1 million in 2023.
The airport's second runway was completed and inaugurated in 2023. It is also scheduled to get a new terminal.
The infrastructural upgrades are expected to double the capacity at Sabiha Gökçen, which is operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).
