Aviation in Turkey

{{main|List of airlines of Turkey}}

File:Thy fcb new aircraft borak.jpg jets]]

In 1983, the Turkish airline market was liberalized. While before, only public companies were allowed to serve the country's airports, with the enactment of the 1983 Civil Aviation Law, private companies were admitted. As the regulation failed at setting up a competitive environment, the quasi-monopoly of Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines was further reinforced. It was only in 2003, that major barriers for market entry were erased, leading to a more competitive market, though Turkish Airlines continued to benefit from state support.{{cite book |editor=R. Curran |display-editors=etal |title=Air Transport and Operations: Proceedings of the Third International Air Transport and Operations Symposium 2012 |author1=Erik den Hartigh |author2=Hatice Küçükönal |chapter=The Turkish aviation system and the strategy of Turkish Airlines |year=2012 |location=Amsterdam |publisher=IOS Press |isbn=978-1-61499-118-2 |url={{Google books|aYmrWtaVdkQC|page=231|plainurl=y}} |pages=231–245}}

As of 2023, Turkish Airlines is one of the major airlines of the world, particularly by its number of international passengers with 83.4 million passengers.{{Cite web |title=Turkish Airlines carried 83.4M passengers in 2023 |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkish-airlines-carried-834m-passengers-in-2023/3103186 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.aa.com.tr}} Operating scheduled services to 122 countries and 304 destinations all around the world. The Turkish airlines flies to more countries than any other airlines in the world.{{Cite web |title=About {{!}} Turkish Airlines {{!}} Routes |url=https://www.routesonline.com/airlines/4713/turkish-airlines/about/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.routesonline.com}}

{{see also|List of airports in Turkey}}

File:İstanbul Havalimanı Airport 2019 21.jpg]]

Since the 2000s, the country has seen an extraordinary development in civil aviation with a growth ten times faster than the world average. While Turkey's airports only handled 34 million passengers in 2003, the number rose to 105 million in 2010, 52 percent of which were on international flights.{{cite book |chapter=Civilian Aerospace |title=Turkey Transportation Policy and Regulations Handbook - Strategic |year=2015 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=International Business Publications |isbn=978-1-329-16459-8 |url={{Google books|anT1CwAAQBAJ|plainurl=y|page=60}} |page=60 f}} In 2012, Turkish airports handled 130 million passengers, making it the sixth-largest aviation market in Europe.{{cite book |title=The Report: Turkey 2013 |publisher=Oxford Business Group|year=2013 |isbn=978-1-907-06580-4 |url={{Google books|gsHVvV16PqEC|page=153|plainurl=y}} |page=153}}

In 2015, Istanbul's Atatürk Airport handled 61.8 million passengers making it the world's 11th busiest airport at the time.{{cite web |url=http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf-traffic/ATR_2015.pdf |title=2015 Airport Traffic Statistics |publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |date=2016-04-01 |accessdate=2016-04-16 |archive-date=2016-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506181018/http://www.panynj.gov/airports/pdf-traffic/ATR_2015.pdf |url-status=dead }} The aging airport was however replaced by the larger Istanbul Airport. With the world's largest airport terminal, initially serving 90 million passengers the new airport will massively expand the passenger capacity, with two more terminals being planned summing up to 150 million passengers per year.{{cite web |title=World's biggest airport under construction in Istanbul |publisher=The Worldfolio |url=http://www.theworldfolio.com/interviews/worlds-biggest-airport-under-construction-in-istanbul/3796/ |date=19 November 2015 |accessdate=22 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612135524/http://www.theworldfolio.com/interviews/worlds-biggest-airport-under-construction-in-istanbul/3796/ |archive-date=12 June 2017 |url-status=dead }} By 2035, the new airport is projected to be the world’s largest airport serving 260 million passengers annually.{{cite news|title=Kotil: Istanbul New Airport to be world's largest |first1=Kurt |last1=Hofmann |date=20 April 2016 |url=http://atwonline.com/leasing/turkish-airlines-lease-five-additional-airbus-a330s |publisher=Air Transport World |quote=By 2035, the New Airport should serve 260 million passengers annually, making it the world’s largest airport, Turkish Airlines president and CEO Temel Kotil told ATW. }} {{cite web|url=http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/kotil-istanbul-new-airport-be-world-s-largest |title=Kotil: Istanbul New Airport to be world's largest | Airports & Routes content from ATWOnline |accessdate=2016-04-23 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423031557/http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/kotil-istanbul-new-airport-be-world-s-largest |archivedate=2016-04-23 }}

Under Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım, numerous new airports were opened, starting with Zonguldak Airport and Şanlıurfa GAP Airport and the controversial Hatay Airport in 2007. Amasya Merzifon Airport followed in 2008, while Gazipaşa Airport serving Antalya and Gökçeada Airport serving Çanakkale were opened in 2010. Zafer Airport serving the cities of Afyonkarahisar, Uşak and Kütahya in 2012, Iğdır Airport also in 2012 and Şırnak Airport followed in 2013.{{Cite web |url=http://arsiv.ntv.com.tr/news/429064.asp |title=Hatay havaalanına kavuştu |access-date=2016-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603034936/http://arsiv.ntv.com.tr/news/429064.asp |archive-date=2016-06-03 |url-status=dead }} Erhaç Airport in Malatya and Cengiz Topel Airport in Kocaeli, previously operating as military air bases, were opened to civil aviation in 2007 and 2011 respectively. A new international terminal at İzmir's Adnan Menderes Airport was opened in 2006, followed by a new domestic terminal in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/266-milon-euroluk-adnan-menderes-ic-hatlar-terminali-hizmete-girdi-26025821|title=266 milon Euro'luk Adnan Menderes İç Hatlar Terminali hizmete girdi|publisher=}} New terminal buildings for Erzincan Airport and Mardin Airport were both opened in 2011 and a new international terminal for Milas–Bodrum Airport was completed in 2012.

In the same period, many other airports were refurbished,{{cite web|url=http://web.shgm.gov.tr/tr/haberler/572-turkiyede-atil-havaalani-kalmayacak|title=Türkiye'de Atıl Havaalanı Kalmayacak. - Sivil Havacılık Genel Müdürlüğü|last=SHGM|publisher=}} including the Tokat, Kahramanmaraş, Sivas, Gaziantep and Çanakkale, Balıkesir and Kars Harakani airports reopened in 2006 and 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.airporthaber.com/havacilik-haberleri/kahramanmaras-havaalani-ucuslara-acildi-26169h.html|title=Kahramanmaraş Havaalanı uçuşlara açıldı|website=www.airporthaber.com}}{{cite web|url=http://web.shgm.gov.tr/tr/haberler/520-tokat-havaalani-yeniden-hizmete-acildi|title=Tokat Havaalanı, yeniden hizmete açıldı... - Sivil Havacılık Genel Müdürlüğü|last=SHGM|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://web.shgm.gov.tr/tr/haberler/521-canakkale-havaalani-yeniden-hizmete-acildi|title=Çanakkale Havaalanı yeniden hizmete açıldı. - Sivil Havacılık Genel Müdürlüğü|last=SHGM|publisher=}} Major improvements to Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport and Kastamonu Airport were completed in 2010 and 2013 respectively.

In the airport sector, construction company Limak İnşaat grew into the position as one of the regional market leaders. In 2007, a Limak joint venture with French company Aéroport de Lyon won the concession tender for Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari.{{cite news |author=Ali Aslan Kiliç |title=Kosovo to open to world with Turkish-built airport |newspaper=Today's Zaman |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-218982-105-kosovo-to-open-to-world-with-turkish-built-airport.html |date=14 August 2010 |access-date=22 May 2016 |archive-date=19 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819054324/http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-218982-105-kosovo-to-open-to-world-with-turkish-built-airport.html |url-status=dead }} In 2015, the company won the tender for a new terminal building at Kuwait International Airport.{{cite news |title=Limak to construct new terminal at Kuwait International Airport |newspaper=Daily Sabah |url=http://www.dailysabah.com/money/2015/08/19/limak-to-construct-new-terminal-at-kuwait-international-airport |date=19 August 2015 |accessdate=22 May 2016 |archive-date=15 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315162622/http://www.dailysabah.com/money/2015/08/19/limak-to-construct-new-terminal-at-kuwait-international-airport |url-status=dead }} Limak is also part of the joint venture that won the tender for Istanbul Airport, Turkey's largest PPP infrastructure project, and due to become the world's largest airport.

File:Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon, Turkey - Air Force JP7136173.jpg fighter of the Turkish Air Force, produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries]]

Turkey has sought for a national aerospace industry since the foundation of the Republic. Under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry for Industry and Technology, Turkey's aircraft industry today is centered on the Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TAI) - founded in 1984 - expanding on a predecessor established in 1973,{{cite book |author=Sören Eriksson |chapter=Newly industrialising economies and the aircraft industry: economic and industrial policy views in Asia |editor-last1=Eriksson |editor-last2=Steenhuis |title=The Global Commercial Aviation Industry |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-81821-6 |url={{Google books|ReEsCgAAQBAJ|page=236|plainurl=y}} |page=236}} and Tusaş Engine Industries (TEI). Several indigenous fighter aircraft programs are under development, the most ambitious of which is the air superiority fighter TAI KAAN (started in 2011) for the Turkish Air Force and future export purposes. TAI produces the trainer and light combat aircraft TAI Hürkuş and TAI Hürjet, the attack helicopter T129 ATAK, the UAVs TAI Anka and TAI Aksungur, and several reconnaissance and military satellites such as the Göktürk-3. The private company Baykar is known for its proven tactical UAV Bayraktar TB2.

• Transport in Turkey

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{{Europe topic|Aviation in|title=Aviation in Europe by country}}

{{World topic|Aviation in|title=Aviation around the World|noredlinks=yes}}