Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a statement regarding the Simultaneous Triple Independent Runway Operations (TRO) that began at Istanbul Airport. Minister Uraloğlu said that the approximately 30-nautical-mile reduction in the approach phase provides an average fuel saving of 352 kilograms and a reduction of 1,112 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions per flight, adding, “These gains mean preventing about 50,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. That corresponds to an environmental benefit equivalent to the annual carbon capture capacity of approximately 2.2 million trees.”

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a statement regarding the Simultaneous Triple Independent Runway Operations (TRO) that began at Istanbul Airport on April 17, 2025. Noting that Turkey is the first country in Europe to implement Triple Runway Operations, Minister Uraloğlu said, “The successful implementation of Triple Runway Operations is a milestone for European aviation. It reflects the discipline, innovation, teamwork of our State Airports Authority air traffic controllers, and the coordinated efforts of all project partners.”

“A 21 Percent Improvement in Flight Distances Has Been Achieved”

Minister Uraloğlu stated that Triple Runway Operations are an important milestone in increasing the overall capacity of Istanbul Airport, and included the following remarks in his statement:

“The operation has provided high flexibility and efficiency in managing traffic during peak hours. As a result, we achieved records by successfully handling 78 landings in one hour on November 29, 2025, and 81 takeoffs in one hour on July 2, 2025. In our analysis of the 78 landings, we found that an average saving of approximately 40 nautical miles per landing was achieved, and that flight distances improved by 21 percent.”

50,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions Prevented Annually

Minister Uraloğlu stated that the analysis shows the operational flexibility made it possible to use shorter routes and improve traffic flow management in the Istanbul Terminal Control Area.

Based on calculations for a typical narrow-body aircraft, Minister Uraloğlu said that the approximately 30-nautical-mile reduction in the approach phase results in an average fuel saving of 352 kilograms per flight and a reduction of 1,112 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, adding, “These gains mean preventing about 50,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. That corresponds to an environmental benefit equivalent to the annual carbon capture capacity of approximately 2.2 million trees.”

Taxi Times Have Been Reduced

Minister Uraloğlu stated that triple runway operations are not limited to gains in the air, but also provide significant efficiency on the ground, saying, “By directing aircraft to the runways closest to their gates, we significantly reduced taxi times. Analyses show that taxi times for arriving aircraft decreased by an average of 10.2 percent, and by 2.8 percent for departures, resulting in a fuel consumption reduction of between 6.6 percent and 14.4 percent.”

Uraloğlu also emphasized that these improvements were directly reflected in on-time performance (OTP), noting that Istanbul Airport reached an on-time performance rate of 80.72 percent in 2025, well above the European average of 71.2 percent.

Contribution to the 2053 Net Zero Emissions Target

Minister Uraloğlu stated that triple runway operations play an important role in Istanbul Airport’s 2053 net zero emissions target, saying, “By reducing both the distance traveled in the air and taxi times on the ground, we are not only increasing capacity, but also systematically lowering carbon emissions. Every nautical mile saved represents a concrete step toward our sustainable aviation goals.”