Istanbul Grand Airport's Success Comes at a Cost, Says Monocle
Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA) became Europe's busiest airport in July, handling 8 million passengers compared to Heathrow's 7.86 million. The single-terminal hub, which opened in October 2018 on the Black Sea, replaced Atatürk Airport, the base of Turkish Airlines since 1933. Despite its size and designer shops, Monocle's Istanbul correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith argues that bigger is not better, citing high prices, long taxi times, and inconvenient transport. A Corriere della Sera analysis of 17 European airports found IGA prices up to 10 times higher than elsewhere, with a bottle of water costing €9. The airport is 40 kilometres from the city centre. Smith prefers Sabiha Gokcen, which has a direct metro link. The article also warns that Heathrow's proposed third runway, costing £320m, may lead to higher ticket prices and more terminal shops.
Key facts
- Istanbul Grand Airport became Europe's busiest airport in July, with 8 million passengers versus Heathrow's 7.86 million.
- IGA opened in October 2018 on the Black Sea and is the world's biggest airport under one roof.
- IGA replaced Atatürk Airport, which had served as Turkish Airlines' base since 1933.
- A Corriere della Sera analysis of 17 European airports found IGA prices up to 10 times higher than other hubs.
- A bottle of water in IGA departures costs €9.
- IGA is located about 40 kilometres from Istanbul's city centre.
- Heathrow's proposed third runway could cost £320m, with management considering charging airlines more.
- Sabiha Gokcen airport, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, offers faster access to the city via metro.
- Monocle correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith wrote the opinion piece.
- Atatürk Airport now hosts political rallies for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Entities
Artists
- Hannah Lucinda Smith
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- Szymon Bartosz
Institutions
- Monocle
- Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA)
- Heathrow
- Atatürk Airport
- Turkish Airlines
- Corriere della Sera
- Sabiha Gokcen Airport
- London City Airport
- Gatwick Airport
- Stansted Airport
- Anglia
- Luton Airport
- JFK Airport
Locations
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Black Sea
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Bosphorus
- Europe
- Greenland
- Ethiopia
- Africa
Sources
- Monocle —