For airports positioned as global hubs, fuel infrastructure is a strategic system that enables operational continuity and determines airport capacity. The primary reason Istanbul Airport’s fuel infrastructure ranks among the largest in the world is to ensure the capacity to seamlessly manage the simultaneous operational demands generated by high traffic volumes.
Istanbul Airport handles an average of nearly 1,500 aircraft movements per day; in 2025, it served approximately 84 million passengers and facilitated 547,000 aircraft movements. From an operational standpoint, the real challenge lies not in the total number of flights, but in the concentration of this traffic during specific times of the day.
As a global hub, Istanbul Airport sees a large number of aircraft converging on the same apron within short timeframes. While passengers make connections, both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft prepare for their next flights and undergo simultaneous refueling. Any capacity constraint within the fuel infrastructure could directly impact apron utilization, aircraft turnaround times, slot scheduling, and the continuity of the flight network. Consequently, the infrastructure was planned with the scale and flexibility to accommodate not only current operations but also increasing operational volumes, fuel demand, and long-term growth projections.
This system offers a significant capacity reserve for future growth, featuring an existing storage capacity of 300,000 m³ and an approved storage capacity of 480,000 m³. Its port—capable of accommodating vessels up to 125,000 DWT—along with an 81-kilometer pipeline, 522 hydrant refueling points, and a hydrant network capable of simultaneously refueling 62 aircraft, provides the refueling capacity required for the world’s busiest hub operations. This infrastructure safely and seamlessly supports the refueling operations of the more than 100 airlines flying to and from Istanbul Airport.
The global scale of Istanbul Airport’s operations means that a significant portion of Türkiye’s total jet fuel consumption takes place at this hub. Today, TFS manages a volume equivalent to approximately 50% of Türkiye’s total jet fuel consumption through this infrastructure.
