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The opening ceremony was full of pomp, but the airport has yet to deal with real passengers
Turkey's newest airport, planned to be the world's largest, has been officially opened in Istanbul.
Istanbul Airport will be able to handle up to 90 million passengers by 2021, with further expansion to a total capacity of up to 200 million.
That would be almost double the capacity of the last year, Atlanta.
But the airport has not been controversial – at least 30 workers have died during its construction.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially opened the airport on Monday to coincide with the 95th anniversary of modern Turkey's foundation, and the associated public holiday, Republic Day.
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But the opening of the day is the world's busiest airport was largely symbolic, only a handful of flights will begin to operate in its first week.
The $ 12bn (£ 9.4bn) project has been spearheaded under Mr Erdogan's government, which has become Istanbul as a global transit hub between Asia, Africa and Europe.
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Istanbul's existing Ataturk Airport will continue to operate until the end of the year, when it will transfer its international code.
The new airport is expected to reach its 90-million capacity by 2021; be upgraded to 150 million by 2023; and reach its goal of a 200-million passenger capacity by 2028.
Turkish authorities plan to move to one of the world's most important cities.
After that point, Ataturk airport would be closed to private traffic, and continue to a private airfield until its current lease expires in 2021.
Istanbul's other, smaller airport, Sabiha Gokcen, is expected to remain operational in the future.
