Çukurova Airport will be Turkey's gateway to Middle Eastern countries

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu conducted an inspection at Çukurova International Airport, built on an 800-hectare area, and held a press conference. Highlighting that they are nearing completion at Çukurova International Airport, Minister Uraloğlu said, “With an annual capacity of 9 million passengers, capable of accommodating the largest wide-body aircraft, we plan to officially open Çukurova International Airport on Saturday, August 10, with the presence of our President. As is well known, Turkey, geographically positioned at the crossroads of three continents, lies on flight routes between developed and developing markets. Turkey has an advantageous and magnificent location, being within a four-hour flight of 1.4 billion people across 67 countries. Since 2002, we have opened our aviation sector to private enterprises, creating a competitive environment. We have built new airports, including Istanbul Airport, increasing the number of active domestic airports from 26 to 57. Under our 2053 targets, we aim to raise this number from 57 to 61. The number of countries with which we have air transport agreements has risen from 81 to 174. While in 2002, flights were conducted to 60 destinations in 50 countries, today we reach 346 destinations in 131 countries. In 2023, 214 million people traveled through our 57 airports. We anticipate surpassing these figures this year.”

“Our country ranked 6th with an average of 3,959 flights per day” Referring to the European Air Navigation Safety Organization (Eurocontrol) European Aviation Overview Report, Minister Uraloğlu said: “Between July 15-21, our country ranked 6th in Europe in terms of traffic volume, with an average of 3,959 flights per day, just behind Italy. Our Istanbul airport has maintained its position as Europe’s busiest airport with an average of 1,485 flights per day. Antalya Airport ranked 8th on the same list with an average of 1,036 flights per day. Two days ago, Antalya Airport set a record for 2024, serving a total of 217,141 passengers and 1,186 flights in both domestic and international routes. In the evaluation of the world's top 25 global airports for flight departures, our Istanbul airport ranked 7th globally.”

“Çukurova International Airport has become one of the finest products of a high vision” Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that Çukurova International Airport is one of the most significant infrastructure investments in aviation due to its regional nature, stating, “It is a well-known fact that regional airports significantly contribute to the country's service exports and the service sector in the regions where they are built. Being designed to serve two or three cities simultaneously is very beneficial for the efficient use of national resources. Ordu-Giresun and Rize-Artvin Airports in our country are beautiful examples of this approach. We are also rapidly progressing with our regional airport projects in Bayburt-Gümüşhane and Yozgat. We have added a new terminal to Kayseri and are constructing a new terminal building in Malatya. Our work on a new airport for Trabzon is also ongoing. Çukurova International Airport, serving Mersin and Adana, has become one of the finest products of this high vision. As you know, Çukurova is one of the oldest centers of history, culture, and civilization. It also has some of the world's most fertile lands. For this region, which has such magnificent potential and fertile lands, to open up more to the world and add value, it is necessary to develop transportation and communication routes. At this point, to avoid making the people of the region wait any longer for the opening of Çukurova International Airport, eagerly awaited by both the people of Adana and Mersin, we quickly completed the infrastructure construction using our resources.”

“We will earn 297.1 million euros in rental income over 25 years” Continuing his speech, Uraloğlu said, “We constructed the main runway, built to CAT-II standards, at 3,500 meters long and 60 meters wide, capable of accommodating the largest wide-body passenger aircraft. Under the infrastructure project, we also completed an auxiliary runway, suitable for emergencies, at 3,500 meters long and 45 meters wide, two high-speed taxiways, a terminal apron, a cargo apron, an apron for private aircraft, two ground service vehicle parking areas, security cabins, and a perimeter security road. The construction of our superstructure facilities, planned in three stages, is also complete. We will make the final touches in the last 12 days leading up to the opening. The total enclosed area for the first and second stages is 179,180 square meters, and for the third stage, it is 35,000 square meters, making the total enclosed area 214,180 square meters. The total fixed investment cost of all stages is approximately 244.515 million euros. Over 25 years, we will earn 297.1 million euros in rental income from our airport, which was realized with an investment of 244.5 million euros. As you can see, intensive cleaning and landscaping work is currently underway. We have also completed the road construction that connects our airport to the highway. We finished our road, 15.9 km long, with a bituminous hot mix surface, built to divided road standards. Within this project, we constructed six single bridges totaling 258 meters in length, two double bridges totaling 90 meters, and a grade-separated interchange of 127 meters. We will officially open it on August 10 with the presence of our President.”

“Çukurova Airport will be Turkey's gateway to Middle Eastern countries” “I want to emphasize that Çukurova Airport will be Turkey’s gateway to Middle Eastern countries,” said Uraloğlu. “It will enable businesses in the region to transport goods more quickly and efficiently by air, facilitate the integration of local businesses into global supply chains, and increase their export potential by opening them up to wider markets, thereby enhancing their competitiveness on the international stage. Air transport, especially for urgent and critical materials, ensures timely delivery, maintaining the seamless operation of supply chains. The Çukurova Region, known for its advanced agricultural activities, will benefit from air transport logistics, especially for perishable goods requiring timely delivery. This will optimize production processes and reduce costs. Additionally, when operational, the airport will contribute to the employment of approximately 3,000 people directly and indirectly in the region and across the country. It will significantly boost the economy, trade, and tourism in Mersin, Adana, and neighboring provinces. We have worked tirelessly to achieve these successes and milestones. We have realized our visionary projects one by one. We will continue to support all projects and services that are rational and meet the needs of our nation to ensure our country’s development and its position as an international aviation hub. With these thoughts, I conclude my remarks, thank all the contractors and DHMİ employees who brought the construction of Çukurova International Airport superstructure facilities to this stage, and wish them continued success,” he concluded. Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan and other provincial officials accompanied Minister Uraloğlu during his inspection.

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