Muscat: finally a terminal worthy of the name
Faced with Gulf giants Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, Oman Air is almost considered a niche carrier. As is, in fact, its home airport. Muscat. But the airline has big ambitions, and the Sultanate of Oman has decided to follow the growth of its national carrier by building a brand new terminal. Opened on 20 MarchThe old terminal, with its questionable level of comfort, has been consigned to history. Passengers now have at their disposal a hub designed to 12 million passengers and above all direct access to the aircraft. A total of 29 footbridges will eliminate the need for tedious bus transfers, which are often carried out under the scorching sun! Lounges, a new shopping area and 86 check-in counters should make transfers via Muscat even more enjoyable... The old terminal will be reserved for low-cost flights.
Istanbul: a mega airport in the pipeline
When it opens, expected in the last days of October, it will be the mega-hub between East and Europe. Europe's largest airport and one of the largest in the Eastern Mediterranean. The project for a new hub in Istanbul, launched at the beginning of the decade, will give the city and the airline a new dimension. Turkish Airlines the means to fight off competition from mega-airports in the Gulf States. Because Istanbul is no longer measured by Frankfurt or London. Its role models - and competitors - are Doha and Dubai.
Istanbul New International Airport is being built 35 km north of the city, and its dimensions give an idea of the gigantic scale of the site. For the first phase of the platform, we are talking about a terminal capable of receiving 90 million passengers63.7 million for the current airport. Ataturk. The future hub will feature 500 check-in counters and 228 passport control stations. It will be able to handle 143 aircraft on contact, with three runways capable of handling 3,500 aircraft movements a day. The future infrastructure will be 25 minutes from the heart of Istanbul thanks to a metro line.
One year after its opening, the second phase of construction will be handed over to the public, enabling Istanbul New International Airport to handle 120 million passengers 200 million in the long term. Following the opening of the new airport, the venerable Istanbul Ataturk hub will close its doors for good. Istanbul's other airport, Sabiha Gökçen, on the Asian side, will remain open.
