Tekirdağ Çorlu Atatürk Airport

Tekirdağ Çorlu Atatürk Havalimanı, opened in 1998, is an airport that serves both civil and military aviation. The airport is operated by the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) and holds a strategic location due to its proximity to Istanbul strategic and place.

• Location: Tekirdağ, Türkiye
• ICAO Code: LTBU
• IATA Code: TEQ
• Geographic Coordinates: 41°07'46" North, 27°54'23" East
• Year of Commissioning: 1998
• Status: Civil / Military
• Traffic Type: Domestic and international flights

The airport features a terminal building of 6,521 square meters and serves as a regional center for both passenger transport and shipping operations.

Access and Location

Çorlu Atatürk Havalimanı is approximately 100 kilometers from Istanbul and occupies a favorable position in terms of both road and air connectivity. Its proximity to the city centers of Çorlu and Tekirdağ ensures that it functions as a key transportation hub for industry regions.

The airport is frequently preferred by industrial facilities in Tekirdağ, Çorlu and surrounding areas and plays a significant role in the logistics sector.

Military and Civil Use

Çorlu Atatürk Havalimanı is actively used by the Turkish Armed Forces. The airport hosts one of the air bases of the Turkish Air Force. As a result, it is one of the rare airports in Türkiye where both civil and military flights are conducted.

In addition, its function as a center for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and defense industry test flights further enhances its strategic importance.

Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Hangar Project

In 2024, the Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Hangar Project was launched to enhance the airport’s capacity for aviation maintenance and repair services.

• Contract Date: 28 February 2024
• Completion Date: 30 November 2024
• Total Duration: 277 Days
• Client: GIANT WINGS UÇAK BAKIM VE HAVACILIK A.Ş.
• Main Contractor: BCM ULUS.MAD.İNŞ.SAN VE TİC.A.Ş.

This project has modernized the airport’s aircraft maintenance and repair infrastructure and represents a significant investment for both civil and military aviation.

Bayraktar Kızılelma and Çorlu Airport

Çorlu Atatürk Havalimanı is an important center for unmanned aerial vehicle test flights and has hosted testing of the advanced technology Bayraktar Kızılelma such as unmanned war aircraft. The Bayraktar Kızılelma took off from Çorlu and landed at Istanbul Atatürk Airport as part of TEKNOFEST 2023.

This flight demonstrated the critical role of the airport for the defense industry and indicates its potential to host more UAV and unmanned aerial vehicle test flights in the future.

Tekirdağ Çorlu Atatürk Havalimanı is an airport of strategic importance in terms of regional aviation, industry and military operations. Its openness to civil and military air traffic, ongoing infrastructure development through maintenance and repair projects, and suitability for UAV test flights have established it as one of Türkiye’s key aviation centers.

Its proximity to industrial and logistics activities, its infrastructure compatible with international air traffic and its growing capacity ensure that Çorlu Atatürk Havalimanı will continue to assume an increasingly significant role in the aviation sector in the future.