Ankara Airport

Ankara Havalimanı is located in the Etimesgut district, on the western bank of Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, bordering the districts of Sincan and Yenimahalle. It is one of the country’s most historically significant aviation facilities.^【1】 The facility served as the primary and main airport for the capital until Esenboğa Havalimanı was constructed and fully operational in 1955.

^{Ankara Havalimanı (}AA⁾

According to archival documents and historical records, the area was known successively as Amaksyz, Amaksis, Amaksuz, Akmasuz, Ahi Mesud and Etimesud before adopting the name Etimesgut.^【2】 The settlement gained the status of a neighborhood in 1932, became a ward in 1968, and was elevated to district status in 1990. In 1928, following an official decision, the area was designed and constructed as one of the early Republican era’s model village projects. In 1935, the Turkish Aeronautical Association was established in the area, followed by the Turkish Red Crescent Society in 1937. Leveraging the logistical advantages of the railway line passing through the region, a sugar factory was opened in 1962.^【3】

The development of the aviation industry in Etimesgut is rooted in the national aviation policies implemented during the era of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.^【4】 During World War II (1939–1945), efforts were made to meet the military’s training and combat aircraft needs through domestic production. Military planning documents and aviation articles published in the newspaper Ulus emphasized the need to develop domestic production capacity for military aviation.

^{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of Ankara Airport and Connecting Roads (}AA⁾

On 22 March 1941, the General Board of the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) allocated 500,000 Turkish Liras for the construction of a factory. The THK Etimesgut Aircraft Factory, established the same year, covered an area of 14,000 square meters and had an estimated value of approximately 8 million Turkish Liras.^【5】 The factory employed 113 engineers and 221 technicians and workers, and was reported to have an annual aircraft production capacity valued at approximately 5 million Turkish Liras.

Following a proposal by the THK Presidency on 5 June 1941 and approval by the Prime Ministry on 10 June 1941, an aircraft engineering branch was established within the Higher Engineering School. Materials used in the factory were tested, including iron produced at the Karabük Iron and Steel Factory, which was evaluated for use in aircraft fuselages. Beginning in 1942, domestic production of chemicals such as paint, varnish, and adhesives used in aircraft exteriors and assembly was initiated.^【6】

Ankara Havalimanı features advanced engineering and infrastructure standards in both its airside and landside components. As part of geometric expansion efforts, the airport’s existing 2,450-meter runway was extended to 3,000 meters, and its width was increased from 42 meters to 60 meters, with wear-resistant surface construction completed. Excavation and fill works on existing taxiways supporting operational efficiency have been finalized, and new parallel and connecting taxiways have been integrated into the system, with the final stages of fill works for the parallel taxiway completed. With the construction of a new 160,000-square-meter apron equipped with rigid concrete paving and high-mast lighting fixtures, the total paved area for the runway, apron, and taxiways has reached 600,000 square meters. Among the facility’s superstructure components are a 4,800-square-meter State Guesthouse with ongoing fine construction works and open parking areas; simultaneously, perimeter security roads, protective walls, and infrastructure relocation works are underway.^【7】

Evaluated as an operational alternative within Ankara’s potential multi-airport system under a multi-criteria decision-making framework, this geometric configuration is supported by a 12.5-kilometer connection axis, of which 6.5 kilometers are divided and 6 kilometers are single-lane standard, constructed with asphalt hot mix (AHM) surfacing.^【8】 As part of this road integration, the Ay Yıldız Bridge, a 140-meter-long technological extradosed cable-stayed structure, and the 40-meter Ankara Bulvarı Underpass have been constructed to significantly enhance the airport’s physical accessibility to the city center and strategic locations. This technical and logistical infrastructure enables the facility to meet the demands of high-security, high-traffic international operations without disruption.^【9】

For many years, commercial civil air transport in Ankara has been conducted exclusively through Esenboğa Havalimanı. Esenboğa Havalimanı has an annual passenger terminal capacity of 20 million and served approximately 16.5 million passengers in 2018.^【10】

Ankara (Etimesgut) Havalimanı, considering its location, existing infrastructure, and accessibility to the city center, is one of the alternative airports evaluated for inclusion in Ankara’s multi-airport system.^【11】

As a result of academic planning and state strategies, a comprehensive modernization project for Ankara Havalimanı and its surrounding logistics corridors has been launched under the coordination of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. On 14 May 2026, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu publicly announced that the physical progress on the airport site had exceeded the 90 percent threshold. As part of the comprehensive transformation project, the existing 2,450-meter runway, which had become outdated and inadequate for large aircraft, was extended to 3,000 meters; the runway width was also increased from 42 meters to 60 meters to enable safer takeoffs and landings.^【12】

^{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of Ankara Airport and Connecting Roads (}AA⁾

The expansion efforts were not limited to the runway alone; a completely new 160,000-square-meter apron area was constructed to expand aircraft parking and maneuvering space. Combined with the runway, taxiways, and new apron, the total paved hard-surface area of the facility has reached exactly 600,000 square meters. An ultra-modern State Guesthouse building with a 4,800-square-meter usable area has also been integrated into the main terminal complex. To ensure seamless integration with urban traffic, the General Directorate of Highways oversaw the completion of a 12.5-kilometer continuous connection road. Along this artery, the 140-meter-long aesthetic extradosed cable-stayed “Ay Yıldız Bridge” and the 40-meter “Ankara Bulvarı Underpass” have been constructed and opened to traffic.

Following the completion of infrastructure and superstructure works, the facility’s name was changed from Etimesgut Havalimanı to Ankara Havalimanı.^【13】

^{NATO Zirvesi öncesi başkentte hazırlıklar (}AA⁾

The airport began operations on 7–8 July 2026 during the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Ankara. According to a directive issued by the Ankara Governorate on 2 July 2026, Ankara (Etimesgut) Havalimanı was designated as the official airport for the arrival of heads of state and government and diplomatic delegations attending the summit.

^{Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu presented a gift to President Erdoğan (}AA⁾

The renovated Ankara Havalimanı was officially opened for civil and military flights on 15 June 2026 in a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the schedule and technical details of the opening. Uraloğlu stated that the airport, modernized in just eight months, will operate internationally under the code ANK, adding, “We have transformed Ankara Havalimanı from a purely military airfield into an international aviation center capable of accommodating large aircraft and hosting global leaders.” Uraloğlu emphasized that the new bridges and underpasses will ensure uninterrupted traffic flow, and described the significance of this investment as , “reducing operational pressure on Esenboğa Havalimanı and enhancing the efficient use of existing capacity.”^【14】