On April 17, iGA Istanbul Airport became the first in Europe to implement a triple runway operations system, a development that is expected to improve on-time performance and offer faster and more reliable connections.
The system was initiated by the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. From the airport’s control tower, Uraloğlu gave the first command to Turkish Airlines pilots, enabling the simultaneous take-off of three scheduled flights.
The new system increases the airport’s hourly air traffic capacity from 120 to 148 aircraft movements. The additional 28 aircraft movements per hour should mean shorter waiting times for airlines, fewer delays for passengers, and reduced carbon emissions.