First Commercial Flight From New Istanbul Airport Arrives In Ankara - Reports

First Commercial Flight From New Istanbul Airport Arrives in Ankara - Reports

The first commercial flight from the new Istanbul Airport, which took off on Wednesday with 340 passengers on board, has arrived in Ankara, local media reported

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st October, 2018) The first commercial flight from the new Istanbul Airport, which took off on Wednesday with 340 passengers on board, has arrived in Ankara, local media reported.

The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 took off at 11:30 a.m. local time (08:30 GMT), according to the Anadolu news agency.

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a ceremony to open the new aviation hub that was dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

There will be two runways in service during the first phase of the new airport's operation. The remaining phases will be completed by 2023, by which point the airport is expected to operate six runways with a annual capacity of up to 200 million passengers.

The new airport, located about 20 miles from the city, is expected to host over 100 airlines with flights to over 300 destinations.

Erdogan said on Monday that Ataturk Airport would be closed to commercial flights but would retain its status as an airport that is primarily used for training activities and aviation fairs.