Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen lead Europe in passenger growth, ACI report says
Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen led Europe in passenger growth in March, according to data from Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE). The reading shows that Turkey is strengthening its transfer-hub position at a time when global air travel demand is uneven.
According to the latest report from Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), Istanbul Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport were the two European airports with the largest passenger growth in March. The data point to a stronger Turkish position in east-west transfer traffic.
Istanbul Airport posted double-digit annual growth in both domestic and international passenger numbers in March. Sabiha Gokcen continued to expand on the back of growing capacity from low-cost carriers and dense connections between Anatolia and Europe. The ACI report noted that Middle East tensions are weighing on global air travel demand, but the effect on Turkish operations has so far been limited.
This strong performance in transfer traffic supports Turkish Airlines and Pegasus, as well as hotels, cargo and airport ground-handling firms further down the chain. Industry executives say that if Turkey's transit-market share continues to rise at the start of the summer season, capacity expansion investments at the main hubs could be accelerated.
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