'Mega center that conquered the world'

Istanbul Airport was selected as the most connected airport in the world in the Official Airline Guide (OAG) index, a global aviation and travel data provider. While Istanbul Airport ranked second last year, this year it surpassed London Heathrow and rose to the first place. The airport had 89,456 potential connections on the peak flight day on August 2, 2026 and 337 destinations in the last 12 months.

bigger than Manhattan

CNN International used the title "Bigger than Manhattan: The record-breaking airport mega center that conquered the world" in its news published in this context.

It was reported that the airport, which provides connections to 337 destinations, is located on a land larger than Manhattan with an area of ​​76.5 million square meters.

The news said, "Istanbul, located at the intersection of continents, has been one of the important centers of trade and transportation routes throughout history. The city, which dominated the Silk Road routes and sea passages between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean during the Byzantine and Constantinople periods, stood out as one of the last stops of the Orient Express in the golden age of railways."