ISTANBUL

Türkiye's Istanbul Airport, the biggest airport in Europe, was again crowned the world's best airport through a survey by leading travel magazine Travel + Leisure.

The airport was the world's best for the second straight year, according to a magazine survey.

"And if it's possible, the airport got even better – securing a 98.57 score compared to last year’s 95.79," Travel and Leisure said in a statement.

It said this year's result is "extra impressive" considering Istanbul Airport came in at number seven in the 2023 survey, with a reader score of 83.36.

The airport's operator, iGA Istanbul Airport, said in a statement Thursday that the award ceremony held in New York City, where the magazine is headquartered, brought together industry leaders and distinguished guests.

iGA Istanbul Airport’s award was presented to Corporate Communications Director Gokhan Sengul by Jacqueline Gifford, the magazine’s editor-in-chief.

“We are truly honored that the services we deliver at iGA Istanbul Airport are recognized not only for operational excellence but also for their cultural value. It is especially meaningful for us that Turkish culture known for its hospitality, refinement, and service that exceeds global standards stands out through our airport," Sengul said.

"In doing so, we take great pride in representing not only iGA, but also Istanbul and our country’s rich cultural heritage on the international stage, while contributing to its brand value," he added.

According to Travel + Leisure readers, airports were evaluated based on accessibility, check-in experience, security, dining options, shopping, and overall design.

iGA Istanbul Airport, which first entered the magazine’s prestigious ranking in 2021 – the first Turkish airport ever to do so – has once again proven its excellence by being named the best in the world for 2024.

"Following iGA Istanbul Airport in this year’s top ten were some of the world’s most prominent airports, including those in Singapore, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Japan, India, and Hong Kong, underscoring iGA’s remarkable achievement on the global stage," iGA said.

Istanbul Airport was Europe's second-busiest airport last year and began simultaneous triple runway operations this April.

With this infrastructure, it became the first in Europe to have three runways and the second in the world, after the US.

The airport handled about 80 million passengers in 2024, making it Europe's largest and second-busiest airport, according to the State Airports General Directorate.

It also became Europe's busiest air cargo hub last year, according to the Airports International Council (ACI) Europe's 2024 Annual Traffic Report.

According to weekly data by the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), Istanbul Airport frequently topped Europe in the number of daily flights.