Turkey’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines’ first flight from new Istanbul Airport departed on Wednesday to the capital Ankara.
Flight #TK2124 took off at 11.32 a.m (local time) from Istanbul New Airport to Ankara Esenboga Airport.
With Monday’s opening, two runways — stretching 3,750 and 4,100 meters long — went into service as part of the first phase.
To mark the moment, Turkish Airlines operated the #TK2124 flight with a Boeing 777-300ER (reg. TC-LFJ) instead of a Boeing 737-800.
Schedule
Istanbul New Airport – Ankara 31.10 – 29.12 / a daily flight with 737-800
Istanbul New Airport – Antalya 01.11 – 29.12 / one daily round with 737-800
Istanbul New Airport – Baku 08.11 – 29.12 / a daily flight with 737-800
Istanbul New Airport – Ercan 31.10 – 28.12 / a daily flight with 737-800
Istanbul New Airport – Izmir 01.11 – 28.12 / a daily flight with 737-800
At full capacity — with the completion of all four phases with six runways — Istanbul Airport is set to become a global aviation hub by hosting more than 100 airlines and flights to over 300 destinations around the world.
The €6 billion ($7.2 billion) first stage, which was built in nearly three years through a public-private partnership model, is one of a series of mega-projects planned for Turkey’s 2023 centennial.