Eid al-Fitr holiday brings record-breaking traffic to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport
A Pegasus Airlines aircraft prepares for departure at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Sep. 28, 2024. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) experienced record-breaking passenger traffic and flight activity on Mar. 29, driven by the surge in travel during Ramadan Bayram (Eid al-Fitr), marking the busiest day in the airport’s history.
On March 29, the airport recorded 141,160 passengers—65,864 on domestic flights and 75,296 on international routes—and 777 total flights, including 344 domestic and 433 international operations.
The previous records stood at 134,289 passengers and 740 total flights.
Sabiha Gokcen fastest-growing airport
According to the January Air Traffic Report by Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), Sabiha Gokcen was the fastest-growing airport in the “Major Airports” category—airports handling more than 40 million passengers annually.
With a 16.2% increase in passenger traffic in January alone, ISG outpaced major European hubs, including London Gatwick, Rome Fiumicino, Madrid, and Paris Charles de Gaulle. The airport ranked eighth overall in Europe for total passenger volume that month and first in year-over-year growth.
Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is one of the two main international airports serving Istanbul and plays a key role in Türkiye’s air travel network.
