Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (ISG) International Airport, Turkiye’s second-largest airport by passenger volume and the 9th busiest in Europe, is now also the continent’s fastest-growing "Major Airport."

According to the latest Airports Council International (ACI) Europe data, ISG achieved a phenomenal 21.5% year-on-year increase in passenger traffic compared to August of last year, securing the top spot among major European hubs.

While the post-pandemic recovery of the European air transport sector—particularly among airports in the EU+ region continues to lag behind expectations, Sabiha Gökçen Airport has captured the continent’s attention. 

By leveraging its strategic advantage as the secondary, yet crucial, gateway in a major metropolis, ISG has cemented its status as the fastest-growing major airport across Europe.

ISG: Europe's Fastest-Growing Airport 

Shatters Records and Redefines Its Strategic Role

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (ISG) International Airport is not just growing—it's redefining aviation dynamics. The airport delivered its best-ever monthly performance in August, setting a new all-time historical record by handling a staggering 4.6 million passengers.

• This record volume totaled 4,699,318 passengers, composed of 2,114,900 domestic and 2,584,418 international travelers.

• Building on this momentum, ISG’s rapid growth trajectory positioned it as Europe’s leader in passenger volume increase for the first eight months of 2025, achieving a 13.3% rise compared to the previous year.

• This outstanding performance propelled ISG into the continent's top tier, securing the 9th position in European passenger traffic with a total of 31.2 million passengers handled between January and August 2025.

Sabiha Gökçen offers strategic value to both passengers and the Turkish aviation sector by operating as a "fast, easy, cost-effective, and digital" secondary airport.

This prompts a crucial question for the industry: What are the key dynamics behind ISG's extraordinary performance and rapid ascent as a secondary airport?

Strategic Positioning and the Evolving Passenger Profile

While primary hub airports are typically defined by serving as the central base for a major airline—characterized by expansive network connectivity and, consequently, higher passenger volume—secondary airports fulfill a crucial role in supporting the national or regional transportation grid. These facilities often serve as the central base for small-to-regional carriers, allowing them to offer more cost-effective ticket options.

Serving as a critical alternative to a region's main gateway, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport ranks among the world’s most notable secondary airports, joining global peers that serve major metropolitan areas, such as London-Gatwick, Paris-Orly, Tokyo-Narita, Beijing-Daxing, and Milan-Bergamo.

Sabiha Gökçen: The Global Benchmark for Secondary International Hubs

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport (IATA code: SAW) serves as a vital secondary international hub in Istanbul's dual-airport system. Its performance has earned global recognition, with CAPA - Centre for Aviation, one of the world's most trusted sources of market intelligence for the aviation and travel sector, citing SAW in 2024 as a prime example to the world of the critical importance of secondary airports in major metropolitan areas.

A testament to its burgeoning role, the two airports serving Istanbul—a jewel of global tourism—handled a staggering total of 86.5 million passengers between January and August of this year. In just eight months, the city’s two gateways collectively welcomed a passenger volume greater than the entire population of Türkiye.

According to the data released by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI),  Istanbul system comprised 55.2 million passengers at the primary hub, Istanbul Airport (IGA), and 31.2 million passengers at the secondary international hub, Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW).

SAW, which concluded 2024 with a record-breaking 41.5 million passengers, continues to enhance its contribution to Turkish tourism and offer passengers a more comfortable travel experience, bolstered by the increased capacity provided by its second runway.

The airport's success in achieving all-time high air traffic is intrinsically linked to its strategic advantages in location and accessibility.

The City's Airport: A Strategic Gateway

Known as the "City Airport," SAW is strategically situated on Istanbul’s Asian side (Anadolu Yakası) and has become a crucial transportation nexus, particularly for residents of the Asian side and the surrounding provinces. 

Its ease of access for people residing in nearby cities like Bursa, Kocaeli, and Sakarya has been a major accelerator of its growth. Local government initiatives, such as frequent bus services from nearby cities like Bursa and Balıkesir, alongside the ongoing Körfezray Rail Project, further support the airport's development.

Post-Pandemic Resilience

SAW’s position as the main base for budget-friendly carriers like Pegasus and AJet has made it particularly appealing, especially in the post-pandemic era where price sensitivity among travelers has increased.

The surge in travel demand following the lifting of restrictions fully revealed SAW’s potential. With the removal of travel limitations, many initially turned to domestic travel. SAW capitalized on this demand with its extensive domestic flight network. Furthermore, a notable trend has been the shift from business travel towards leisure and holiday-focused journeys. Travelers, eager to satisfy pent-up wanderlust, increasingly opted for shorter-haul and more affordable international destinations.

Today, connecting to 149 destinations in total—39 domestic and 110 international across 53 countries—SAW serves not merely as an "alternative" but as an essential, complementary gateway and one of the largest "entry" and "connection" points for both Istanbul and Türkiye.

Navigating the Post-Pandemic Shift at Sabiha Gökçen

The dynamics of air travel have significantly shifted in the post-pandemic era, and Sabiha Gökçen Airport has showcased a remarkable surge in its international footprint.

Prior to the pandemic, international passengers constituted roughly 40% of ISG’s total traffic. Following the global recovery, this proportion has risen sharply to 53%, signaling a notable increase in international passenger volume.

ISG is strategically positioned as a regional transit hub, primarily connecting Türkiye with key markets across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and Central Asia. This advantageous geographic position fueled record-breaking growth in international passenger traffic throughout 2025, setting a historic daily passenger record of 160K on August 10th, and logging an all-time high for daily flight movements with 855 flights on August 31st, 2025.

Known as the "Efficient Airport" due to its compact terminal design and streamlined operational processes, ISG is committed to enhancing this signature quality. 

With the integration of existing terminals, ongoing capital expenditure, and planned infrastructure projects, Sabiha Gökçen is rapidly moving beyond the status of merely a "second airport." It is forecasted to become a preferred hub in the coming years, making its mark on both the regional and global aviation sectors.

ISG's dynamic growth trajectory is more than just a success story; it is evidence of a paradigm shift in the aviation industry. It proves that factors like affordability, accessibility, and operational ease are becoming increasingly decisive in an airport choice. 

As Türkiye's second-busiest and Europe’s 9th busiest airport, ISG is a trailblazer, demonstrating that regional and secondary airports can compete effectively on a global scale