ANKARA, 30 Oct (BelTA - Anadolu Agency) - Istanbul Airport, the “world's new hub,” officially opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 29 October, the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.
Speaking at the massive new airport's inauguration ceremony, President Erdogan said it would be a model to the world in terms of its architecture, construction, operation, and financing.
The ceremony was attended by a host of world leaders, including the presidents of Albania, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Macedonia, Moldova, Pakistan, Serbia, and Sudan, plus the chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Council of Ministers, Azerbaijan's parliament speaker, Bulgaria's prime minister, and ministers and high-level officials from various other countries.
Pointing to the new airport's name, Erdogan said Istanbul is Turkey's largest city by population and also its most valuable brand name.
"We see Istanbul Airport as an investment not only in our country but also in our region and the world," said Erdogan.
Erdogan said once all its stages are completed, Istanbul Airport will serve 150 million passengers annually.
"If needed, the annual capacity can be raised to 200 million," he added.
With Monday's opening of the first phase, a total of 90 million passengers can use the airport on a yearly basis.
Erdogan noted that the airport will continue to grow over the next decade, until all phases are completed by 2028.
"Generating its own energy, the environmentally- and handicapped-friendly airport will create 120,000 jobs."
Turkish airports nationwide welcomed nearly 164 million people between this January and September, with over 31 percent of air passengers using Istanbul Ataturk Airport, up to now Turkey's busiest airport.
