Istanbul Airport remains Europe’s busiest

Daily flight arrivals in Turkey’s Istanbul Airport have surpassed major European airports such as Amsterdam, London, and Paris in 2024, making it the continent’s busiest.

The airport received an average of 1,401 daily flights last year, an increase of 2 percent year on year, thus retaining its position as the busiest air hub in Europe for the third consecutive year, Daily Sabah newspaper reported citing transport and infrastructure minister Abdulkadir Uraloğl.

The ranking was based on a report by the Belgium-based European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), which has 42 member states.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport rose to second place with 1,336 daily flights, followed by London Heathrow at 1,302 daily flights.

Uraloğlu expected the Istanbul airport to maintain its leading position in the years ahead. The airport has served more than 338 million passengers since its opening, with over 255 million traveling on international routes.

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Turkey ranked sixth among European countries with the busiest traffic volume, with an average of 3,140 daily flights.

Uraloğlu said this month that passenger traffic at Turkish airports grew by 7.5 percent year on year to more than 230 million in 2024.

More than 95 million domestic and 134 million international passengers were served last year, he said.