IGA Istanbul Airport won the “Airport Platinum Award” as part of Cirium’s 2025 On-Time Performance Review. It rose in the global rankings with 84.3 million passengers and an 80.72% on-time departure rate.
IGA Istanbul Airport was deemed worthy of the “Airport Platinum Award” within the scope of the 2025 On-Time Performance Review prepared by the global aviation data authority Cirium. A historic achievement was recorded with 84.3 million passengers and an 80.72% on-time departure rate.
Operational Excellence Certification from the Global Aviation Authority
IGA Istanbul Airport, one of the world’s leading transfer hubs, became the recipient of the “Airport Platinum Award”, one of the sector’s most prestigious awards, within the scope of the “2025 On-Time Performance Review” report published by Cirium, which sets international aviation standards.
The award was granted due to IGA’s enhancement of operational discipline despite high traffic volume, its steady improvement in on-time departure performance, and its achievement of an important position in global rankings through a sustainable growth strategy.
84.3 Million Passengers, 547 Thousand Flights
According to 2025 performance data, IGA Istanbul Airport:
- Hosted 84.3 million passengers
- Successfully managed 547 thousand flights
- Broke a record with an average of 1,707 daily flights
- Provided connections to more than 330 destinations
The on-time departure rate was:
- 68.62% in 2023
- 76.28% in 2024
- 80.72% in 2025
With this performance increase, the airport rose from 51st to 19th place in the global large airports ranking.
Selahattin Bilgen: “International Recognition of Invisible Effort”
The award ceremony was held with the participation of IGA CEO Selahattin Bilgen and Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen.
Bilgen stated in his speech:
“This award reflects not only statistics but also our ability to manage complex operations and maintain passenger experience during crises. While everything appears calm on the surface for our passengers, thousands of our experts working 24/7 in the background demonstrate flawless coordination. Receiving this award from Cirium is international recognition of invisible effort.”
Cirium: “IGA Raised the Bar of Success”
Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen noted that IGA’s performance increase is remarkable on a global scale:
“The 2025 Platinum Award reflects consistent and measurable progress. Improving performance at this scale and level of connectivity requires high operational discipline. The data shows that IGA has raised its baseline of success and maintained that level.”
Founded on the basis of the publication of Flight Magazine in 1909 and with a 117-year history, Cirium is today accepted as a global reference in aviation data analytics.
2026 Target: 90 Million Passengers
Strengthening its operational success with sustainability investments, IGA Istanbul Airport produces 340 million kWh of clean energy annually with a €212 million solar power plant investment and, as of 2025, holds the title of the first airport to meet all its electricity consumption from solar energy.
The 2026 targets are even more ambitious:
- Over 90 million passengers
- Exceeding Türkiye’s population in transported passengers
Additionally, according to ACI Europe data, it continues to maintain its world leadership position in the global hub connectivity ranking.
https://www.airportgundem.com/selahattin-bilgen-liderliginde-iga-istanbul-havalimanina-platin-odul/
