ANTALYA Airport in Turkey can now welcome 82 million annual passengers.
The third busiest airport in Turkey has had makeover with the expansion of Terminal 2 – and there’s still more to come with the entire project set to finish in 2039.
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Antalya Airport in Turkey has completed the first phase of its huge overhaul project.
On April 12, 2025, it was announced the Antalya Airport can now accommodate up to 82 million passengers per year.
The International Terminal 2 was increased in size by 132,000 square meters and added 38,000 square meters to the domestic terminal.
Last year more than 38 million passengers used the airport – but its capacity has now more than doubled.
Inside are lots of new places to eat with 29 new cafes, bars and restaurants as well as added shops.
The first phase of the project cost approximately €850million (£730m) and took three years to complete.
But it’s far from over as there are three phases in total, with the second beginning in 2028 and expected to be completed the following year.
Phase two will involve building a new air traffic control tower.
Phase three of the project involves building a new international terminal that will be 70,000 square metres.
There will also be a multi-storey car park and fuel farm expansion.
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The building of phase three won’t start until 2038 with the completion date currently set in 2039.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “This is not just an airport; it’s a global front door for Türkiye, capable of greeting guests from every corner of the earth.”
In addition to the Antalya Airport project, two more airports are under construction.
One will be in central Yozgat and the other in northeastern Bayburt-Gumushane, which will raise the number of active airports in the country from 58 to 60.
The expansion of Antalya Airport is part of a plan to establish the region as an attractive year-round travel destination.
But Turkey is already a hugely popular holiday spot for Brits, and in 2024, over 4.4 million visited the country.
Flights to Antalya take just over four hours from the UK and you can get a return fare for as little as £41 with Wizz Air.
There’s also around 300 sunny days in Turkey per year with temperatures in the summer months reaching highs of 33C.
One hotel in Antalya was recently declared the best TUI resort by Brits.
And this Turkish city just east of Antalya is much quieter and just as nice.
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