Turkish Airlines to invest in new cargo terminal as it continues to expand with new Boeing 777 freighters
Istanbul-headquartered Turkish Airlines plans to build a new cargo terminal, although the location of the project is not yet confirmed.
The airline has not issued a press release on the new cargo terminal to date, but announced the project in a post on Turkish social media platform, NSosyal, reported Daily Sabah.
Turkish said the cargo terminal, as well as a new in-flight catering facility, would be enabled by an investment of over $2.3bn.
Turkish Airlines has been contacted for confirmation and more details.
While Turkish has not announced the location of the new cargo terminal, iGA Istanbul Airport is certainly a strong possibility.
In 2024, iGA Istanbul Airport handled 1.98m tonnes of cargo, representing a 24% year-on-year increase, which positioned it as Europe’s top cargo airport.
Istanbul’s growth was supported by 18 scheduled and 42 charter cargo airlines, plus the belly cargo capacity of the 111 passenger airlines operating there.
Plus, the airport’s Cargo Village hosts all three global integrators – DHL, FedEx, and UPS.
Turkish Cargo closed 2024 with over 2m tons of cargo and mail transported, up by 20% compared with 2023.
Infrastructure forms a key part of Turkish Cargo's expansion plans as new faciliites will help support fleet maintenance and management. Turkish Airlines' 2033 Vision targets 813 aircraft, with the freighter fleet set to expand from 28 to 44 units.
Turkish Cargo now has 11 Boeing 777 freighters in its fleet, according to Planespotters. The most recent delivery was in December.
