Istanbul takes center stage in global air transport as competitors in the Middle East operate under constraints
Turkish Airlines entered 2026 with another strong result confirming how firmly Istanbul has established itself as one of the world’s key air hubs. According to the company’s official financial materials, in 2025 the Turkish flag carrier generated 24.1 billion US dollars in revenue, 5.7 billion dollars in EBITDAR, and 2.223 billion dollars in profit from main operations, with 92.6 million passengers carried and a fleet that exceeded 500 aircraft. In the same period, Istanbul did not grow only through Turkish Airlines, but also through the position of the airport itself, which, according to European and industry indicators, now ranks at the very top of global connectivity. At a time when some major Gulf competitors are operating under temporary suspensions, reduced flight schedules, or increased operational restrictions due to the spread of the conflict linked to Iran, the Turkish metropolis is further strengthening its role as a bridge between Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
This does not mean that Istanbul has overnight become the world’s only air transport center, but current data show that it has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the changes shaking the wider region. While over the past fifteen years Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi emerged as dominant transfer points, the current security and operational disruptions are opening space for airports and carriers that can offer a large network, geographic advantage, and continuity. That is precisely the combination on which Istanbul is building its rise: the vast Turkish Airlines network, the infrastructure strength of the new Istanbul airport, and the fact that the city lies at the crossroads of markets that continue to generate strong demand for transfer travel.
Turkish Airlines results show the breadth of growth
Turkish Airlines’ official presentation for the fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results shows that the company did not grow only through the number of flights, but also through the overall scale of business. Comparing 2025 with 2024, revenue rose from 22.7 to 24.1 billion dollars, passenger revenue from 18.4 to 19.8 billion dollars, and capacity measured in available seat-kilometers from 254.1 to 273.2 billion. The number of passengers increased from 85.1 to 92.6 million, while the load factor rose from 82.2 to 83.2 percent. For an airline that already operates an exceptionally large network, such growth speaks not only of expansion, but also of retained demand despite more expensive operations, inflationary pressures, and occasional problems in the engine, fleet, and available-capacity markets.
It is particularly important that Turkish Airlines continues to grow across several continents at the same time. In 2025 the company flew to 303 international destinations in 131 countries, and among the new additions to the network it lists Seville, Ohrid, Port Sudan, and Phnom Penh. It is precisely this broad and geographically diverse network that makes Istanbul exceptionally resilient to changes in individual regions. If traffic weakens in one market, the carrier can fill aircraft more strongly with passengers from other directions. That is an important difference compared with models that rely more heavily on a narrower group of markets or on one dominant direction of connectivity.
The company also emphasized the strategic goal of further growth. In its projections for 2026, Turkish Airlines announces an increase in total revenue of 6 to 9 percent and growth in passenger capacity of 7 to 9 percent. By the end of 2026 it is targeting a fleet of 560 to 570 aircraft and a network of 356 destinations in 132 countries, along with a long-term plan for further expansion through 2033. Such projections show that Istanbul’s current position is based not only on a one-off jump, but on a multi-year strategy that sees the airport and the carrier as the center of broader Eurasian and African connectivity.
Istanbul Airport among the leaders in global connectivity
The rise of Turkish Airlines is difficult to separate from the rise of the airport itself. According to the Airport Industry Connectivity Report 2025 by ACI EUROPE, in 2025 Istanbul ranked first in Europe in direct connectivity and at the same time took first place in the world in global hub connectivity, ahead of Frankfurt and Dallas Fort Worth. The same report states that Istanbul’s hub connectivity increased by 59 percent compared with the pre-pandemic year 2019, which the authors link to the expansion of Turkish Airlines, the geographic position between Europe, Africa, and Asia, available capacity, and generally a more supportive Turkish aviation policy.
Another important confirmation comes from OAG’s Megahubs 2025 report, which still keeps Heathrow in first place among the world’s most connected airports, but elevates Istanbul to second place, as many as six positions higher than a year earlier. OAG links this jump to a 25 percent increase in potential connections, emphasizing that Turkish Airlines operates about 79 percent of flights from Istanbul. In other words, the airport’s growth and the growth of the national carrier here are not separate stories, but two sides of the same strategy: the broader the Turkish Airlines network, the more attractive Istanbul becomes to transfer passengers; the better connected Istanbul is, the easier it is for the carrier to fill new destinations and add frequencies.
It is also important that Istanbul is strongly positioned toward several regions at the same time. ACI EUROPE states that in 2025 it was the leading European airport in direct connectivity with the Middle East, third toward Africa, and second toward Asia and the Pacific. This matters operationally because such breadth is exactly what gives a hub resilience and strategic value. An airport that is strong only toward one region can be very successful, but an airport that evenly connects several continents becomes an indispensable transit point at moments when global flows are changing.
The conflict linked to Iran is disrupting the Gulf model
Current developments in the Middle East have further increased the importance of that geographic and network advantage. On 28 February, Qatar Airways officially announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace. The company then also stated in updates on 3, 4, 5, and 6 March 2026 that regular operations remain temporarily suspended until the competent civil aviation authority announces reopening. On 5 March, Emirates said that, following the limited reopening of airspace, it is operating on a reduced schedule until further notice. In its latest operational notices, Etihad stated that all other scheduled commercial services to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended, except for a limited number of services that depend on operational approvals and the condition of regional airspace.
For the global market, this is far more important than it may seem at first glance. Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi are not just local airports, but points through which an enormous number of transfer passengers travel every day between Europe and Asia, Africa, Australia, and parts of North America. When such a system slows down, is suspended, or shifts to reduced operations, the consequences do not remain confined within the Gulf. They affect entire travel chains, the availability of connections, ticket prices, crew rotation, aircraft scheduling, and capacity planning at other hubs. In such circumstances, every large, stable, and relatively safe alternative hub gains additional weight.
Istanbul presents itself here almost naturally. It is not a direct substitute for all Gulf models because it does not have an identical geographic position for every passenger flow, but for a large share of passengers between Europe and Asia, Europe and Africa, and certain links to the Americas, it can offer a highly competitive transfer product. When that is combined with Turkish Airlines’ high flight frequency, a broad destination network, and the operational capacities of Istanbul Airport, it is clear why, at the current moment, Istanbul is increasingly being described as a beneficiary of the regional reshuffle.
Why Istanbul is in a more favorable position than many competitors
One of Istanbul’s key advantages is that it combines three types of strength that are rarely found in the same place. The first is geographic. Istanbul is close enough to Europe to be a natural inbound and outbound hub for a large number of European passengers, while at the same time far enough east and south to connect efficiently with the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of the Far East. The second is infrastructural. The new Istanbul airport was designed precisely for massive transfer traffic, with capacity and room for further expansion. The third is commercial. Turkish Airlines has a model that combines a national carrier, a broad network, strong transfer traffic, and a growing number of direct international passengers.
In its report, ACI EUROPE explicitly states that Istanbul’s global hub connectivity is driven by Turkish Airlines’ expansion, high capacity availability, and Turkish policy which, from the perspective of air transport, is more competitive than part of Western European markets. This is an important note because it shows that Istanbul’s growth is not only a market coincidence, but also the result of a regulatory and infrastructural framework that favors expansion. In practice, this means Istanbul can respond more quickly to changes in demand, add capacity, and accept a larger number of transfer passengers when other major hubs come under pressure.
Turkish Airlines additionally benefits from the fact that it has distributed international traffic relatively evenly between transfer and direct passengers. In its 2025 presentation, the company shows a balanced composition of international traffic, giving it greater flexibility in sales and network management. Such a structure is important in crisis periods: the carrier is not completely dependent only on transit, but it can readily capitalize when transit once again becomes the main competitive advantage. That is exactly what is happening now while some Gulf carriers are operating with greater constraints.
Can Istanbul permanently change the map of global hubs
The answer is currently not unambiguous, but the trend is clear. Heathrow remains the leader according to OAG, and Dubai, Doha, and other major hubs will not disappear from the map of global air transport as soon as operations and the security situation stabilize. But it is equally clear that Istanbul is no longer just a regional challenger or a large European airport with ambitions. According to available data, it is already at the very top of the global system of connectivity and passenger transfer. ACI EUROPE sees it in 2025 as number one in global hub connectivity, and OAG as the second most connected megahub in the world. These are indicators that can no longer be interpreted as a passing episode.
At the same time, the current crisis in the Middle East may have a longer-lasting effect on the business behavior of passengers, airlines, and corporate buyers as well. If Istanbul proves that, during a period of instability, it offers more reliable connections, enough frequencies, and a wide choice of destinations, part of the passenger flow could be redirected more permanently, not necessarily as a complete replacement for Doha or Dubai, but as a more equal alternative than before. In an industry largely based on habits, loyalty programs, seat availability, and trust in operational stability, such changes do not happen overnight, but once they begin, they often last longer than carriers expected.
For Turkey, this also has a broader economic meaning. A large hub brings benefits not only to the airline but also to tourism, logistics, cargo transport, maintenance services, aircraft financing, and international business connectivity. In its own materials, Turkish Airlines already highlights the expansion of activities beyond classic passenger transport, including technical operations, investments, and related business lines. When such a system grows together with an airport that is already among the most connected in the world, this is not only about the success of one company, but about the consolidation of Istanbul as a platform from which Turkey expands its influence in global transport and trade.
That is precisely why today’s picture of global air transport looks different than it did just a few years ago. Gulf hubs remain huge players, European airports such as Heathrow, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam retain great importance, but Istanbul has moved from the phase of ambition to the phase of real power. Turkish Airlines’ financial result in 2025, network growth, record passenger numbers, the airport’s position in global rankings, and the current disruptions affecting competitors together create the image of a city that is no longer just a bridge between continents, but one of the crucial valves through which global air transport is being reorganized today.
Sources:- Turkish Airlines Investor Relations – official presentation of results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, with data on revenue, profit from main operations, passengers, capacity, and plans for 2026. (link)- Turkish Airlines Investor Relations – consolidated financial report for 2025, with a presentation of operating profit and segment results (link)- ACI EUROPE – Airport Industry Connectivity Report 2025, with Istanbul’s ranking in direct and global hub connectivity (link)- OAG – Megahubs 2025 and accompanying announcement on the world’s most connected airports, with Istanbul positioned second globally (link)- Qatar Airways Newsroom – official announcement on the temporary suspension of flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace (link)- Emirates – official operational notices on the reduced flight schedule due to the partial reopening of airspace (link)- Etihad Airways – official notices on suspended and limited commercial services due to regional airspace closures (link)
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