The decision to build a new air gate and close Ataturk Airport was due to the congestion of the latter and the impossibility of its further expansion. At the end of 2017, Ataturk Airport served 63.7 million passengers.
Now there are three airports in the city - Ataturk (European part), Sabiha Gokcen (Asian part) and the “new airport of Istanbul” (European part).
This year, the old Ataturk Airport passes the victory banner to the new one. After transferring all flights to the new Istanbul airport, the largest existing airport named after Ataturk will be turned into the “People's Garden”.