According to data shared by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, on 4 January 2026 a total of 2,177 transit flights were recorded using Turkish airspace without landing or taking off. This figure went down in records as the highest daily number of transit flights ever reached in the history of Turkish aviation.
Experiencing almost a golden age in transit (overflight) traffic, Turkish airspace has been drawing attention in recent years with increasing air traffic. While the average daily number of transit flights in 2025 stood at 1,850, the busiest day recorded in 2024 saw 1,980 flights.
The previous record had been broken on 31 August 2025, when the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) Air Traffic Control System provided services to 1,906 transit flights.
2,177 Aircraft Passed Through Turkish Airspace in 24 Hours
This increase in the number of aircraft defined in the aviation sector as “transit flights” — aircraft that use a country’s airspace without landing or taking off — is associated with Türkiye’s geostrategic location, air traffic management capacity and the operational success of DHMİ.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu included the following statements in his remarks regarding the record:
- On 4 January, we reached the highest daily number of transit flights of all time with 2,177 transit flights.
- We surpassed the previous record of 1,906 flights recorded on 31 August 2025.
- Throughout 2025, DHMİ broke its own records 6 times in total traffic and 8 times in the number of transit flights.
- We carried this success even further with a new record in the first days of 2026.
- With the goal of making Türkiye a global hub in air transportation, we continue our approach of providing safe, sustainable and high-standard services.
