By Arife Yildiz Unal

ANKARA

The world's leading cargo companies have applied to rental spots at the new Istanbul airport, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Cahit Turhan told Anadolu Agency.

"Istanbul will also be the center of the global cargo transportation," he said.

Turhan said the first phase of the new airport is set to be completed on Oct. 29.

"We will provide a great competitive environment especially for large companies that provide air cargo services globally, which will be able to operate in our country," Turhan noted.

Turhan underlined with the first phase opened, the new airport will welcome 90 million passengers annually, with 3,500 daily landings and take-offs.

He said it will also offer a 100,000 square meter area of living space, a 25,000-vehicle parking lot, a 42 km-long baggage conveyor system, as well as 143 boarding bridges.

Turhan said the new airport will offer employment opportunity to 225,000 people.

Once complete, the new airport will offer flights to more than 300 destinations with an annual passenger capacity of up to 200 million.

A total of 1.38 billion people have passed through the country's airports in the last 10 years, the General Directorate of State Airports Authority data shows.

*Jeyhun Aliyev contributed to this story from Ankara