Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that, according to data from the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), Türkiye has achieved a historic record in air navigation services. Minister Uraloğlu said, “In January 2026, Türkiye reached the highest number of service units ever recorded within the EUROCONTROL system, with 1 million 671 thousand 405 service units.”

Ranked First Among 42 Countries

Uraloğlu noted that Türkiye has strengthened its leadership in European airspace and stated, “Our country has solidified its leadership among the 42 EUROCONTROL member states. For the past three months, we have outperformed European countries, especially France, as the country generating the most services in Europe.”

Uraloğlu also pointed out that the latest report published by the EUROCONTROL Statistics and Forecasts Unit predicts that Türkiye will maintain its leadership for many years thanks to its air traffic growth momentum and infrastructure capacity.

“The Quality of the Service We Provide in Turkish Airspace Has Once Again Been Recognized Internationally”

Explaining that the number of service units is calculated based on an aircraft’s weight and distance traveled, and is one of the most important indicators of airspace capacity, Uraloğlu said, “As of January 2026, the service unit level exceeding 1.6 million clearly demonstrates Türkiye’s key role in the global aviation network.”

Referring also to the investments made in Turkish airspace, which is approximately 1 million square kilometers in size, Uraloğlu said, “Thanks to the advanced technology and visionary infrastructure investments we have implemented with an approach based on flight safety, we have raised system capacity to the highest level. The innovative air traffic management strategy applied in this context has taken Türkiye beyond being merely a regional transit hub in aviation and made it one of Europe’s undisputed leaders. This achievement, along with the quality of the service we provide in Turkish airspace through our General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI), has once again been recognized internationally.”