According to the statement made by İGA, according to the "Megahubs 2026" ranking published by the aviation data company OAG on September 18, 2026, İGA Istanbul Airport left London Heathrow Airport behind and became the airport with the highest global connection power in the world.
Bilgen participated in CNN International's "Quest Means Business" program as a live broadcast guest from the London studio and evaluated Istanbul Airport's position in global aviation, capacity investments and the effects of developments in the Middle East on the aviation industry.
Regarding IGA Istanbul Airport's rise to the first place in global connection power, Bilgen said, "Leadership in global connection power is an achievement that comes after being the busiest airport in Europe in terms of air traffic. We also left Frankfurt behind and became the largest cargo center in Europe. These achievements were the direct result of our long-term planning and capacity investments that progressed with traffic growth." he said.
"Our fourth runway will provide additional capacity for air traffic"
Stating that the fourth runway, which came into service in September, will contribute to the growth of the airport, Bilgen noted that in addition to the capacity investments, the applied operation model also increased the global connection power of Istanbul Airport.
Bilgen emphasized that the fact that more than 110 airline companies operate at Istanbul Airport plays an important role in the formation of a strong connection network and said:
"The success of Istanbul Airport is the result of many factors, especially our investments that enable us to meet regional and global demand. The efficient operation model we carry out has also contributed significantly to this. In this way, we have attracted more than 110 airline companies to our airport and constantly advanced our connection power. Our fourth runway will also be a part of offering new value to our airline partners. Our new runway will support our operations by providing additional capacity and efficiency to air traffic."
Developments in the Middle East caused passenger forecasts to be revised
Evaluating the effects of the restrictions in the Middle East airspace on the global aviation industry, Bilgen stated that the effects of geopolitical developments in the region on Istanbul Airport are twofold.
Bilgen stated that the fact that Istanbul Airport is the airport with the most connections in the world contributed to it taking over a part of the air traffic on the east-west axis, while some flights were canceled due to developments in the region.
Noting that regional developments are also reflected in year-end passenger number expectations, Bilgen said, "Being the airport with the most connections in the world has certainly contributed to us taking on some of the traffic extending from west to east and east to west. However, Istanbul is a gateway for many countries in the Middle East and Africa. Problems in the region have led to the cancellation of certain flights. For this reason, we revised our year-end passenger number forecast." he said.
