The huge new airport of Istanbul is about to open. Here's a look | Condé Nast Traveler India

Istanbul has long enjoyed its city position where East meets West. Turkey is now on the verge of affirming itself as the world's hub of travel, by inaugurating the New airport of Istanbul– which will be the largest airport in the world to be built from scratch. We had a glimpse of the new airport four days before the opening, and there is much to be hoped for as this new airport will liven up tomorrow.

The largest airport in the world?

The new airport of Istanbul is the largest airport in the world to be built from scratch. The airport, which will be fully operational in the next decade, will have six tracksand the whole airport will be bigger than the whole of Manhattan combined. Not only that, it will accommodate 200 million passengers a year once completed, almost double the Atlanta-based Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, which handled 103 million passengers in 2017, with more than 2,500 flights operated every day. Three terminals are currently planned for the new Istanbul airport. The first will open next week.

Designed to impress

The architecture of the new Istanbul Airport will reflect Istanbul's rich cultural heritage, inspired by Istanbul's various mosques, baths, domes and other historical structures. As you land, you'll notice the ATC tower, designed as a tulip, the national flower of Turkey.

The numbers are staggering. On the first day, two tracks will be operational and a third will be online by 16 months. The airport will have a bewildering effect 143 footbridges through 77 doors when the first phase will be online. As much as 114 narrow-body aircraft should be able to dock at the airport at the same time. Not only that, the airport has the ability to handle 15 A380 In one time. There will be 500 check-in counters available.

If you think you will not be able to cross such a big airport without help, you'll have enough F & B and retail therapy sessions. There will be more than 100 brands present in a 55,000 square meters and 32,000 square meters for catering in the first phase of the airport. According to the airport operator, you will experience the experience of a shopping center within the boundaries of this airport.

They will also ensure that you do not lose your flight lost in this conclave shopping, with everything going on behind the scenes. The airport stresses that all the information you will need would be available with the app, which will use beacons spread over the airport to locate you and guide you. The airport will have a 42 km long luggage conveyor belt. With new technology to ensure that each bag is carried on a separate tray, you will be able to keep a note on the location of your bag at every step.

Turkish Airlines, which will transfer all of its operations here at the end of the year, will continue to be the main user of the airport. The airline plans to open five different shows for their customers from this airport, which will handle approximately 10,000 customers at one time, more than double the capacity of their highly respected CIP Lounge at Ataturk Airport.

The first phase of the new airport will open smoothly on October 29, 2018, which is the national day of Turkey. It is also the day the airport will receive its official name. It will become the largest airport terminal in the world under one roof, with a capacity of 90 million passengers the first day. Turkish Airlines will operate 5 daily flights departing from this airport, starting November 1, which will include three domestic flights and two international flights. In the coming months, it will use the ISL airport code and will use these five flights as a test to commission the entire phase 1 of the airport by the end of 2018.

Third airport of Istanbul

It will be the third airport in Istanbul after the airports of Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen. The new airport will be located northwest of downtown Istanbul, heading to the Black Sea coast on the European side of Istanbul. For reference, Ataturk is west of downtown Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen is southeast, in the Asian part of Istanbul.

The options for getting to the airport are always work in progress. The new airport in Istanbul will be connected to the city with a fleet of buses and a motorable highway, but the subway will head to the new airport by 2020. For passengers in transit, there will be will have a 451 room hotel operated by Yotel, with 102 airside rooms. You should be able to reserve rooms at the opening time of the hotel by the end of 2018, coinciding with the transition of Ataturk Airport from Istanbul.

At the end of the year, between 30 and 31 December 2018, a complete transition of operations will take place from Istanbul Ataturk Airport to the new Istanbul Airport, which will involve 14,000 ground vehicles and is expected to last 45 years. hours. When the transition is complete, the new airport in Istanbul will definitely take the nickname IST and will become the main airport of Istanbul in 2019.