Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (ISG) shared its global achievements, strong growth performance, and future vision during a general information meeting (Town Hall). The meeting, attended by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Managing Director and ISG Board Member Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, highlighted ISG’s achievements in terminal operations as well as its future targets.
Holding the title of Europe’s fastest-growing airport, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (ISG) announced its ongoing growth performance marked by new records, its future vision to strengthen global competitiveness in aviation, artificial intelligence transformation, and infrastructure investments during a comprehensive Town Hall meeting attended by senior and mid-level executives.
At the strategic summit hosted by ISG Airport Hotel on June 2, 2026, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Managing Director and ISG Board Member Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani shared growth plans, infrastructure investments, and organizational transformation strategies that will reinforce the global market strength of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, which has become a global symbol of operational efficiency under the title “The City Airport.”
Sabiha Gökçen dynamism in global aviation: The growth catalyst of the industry
In his opening speech titled “The Power of We,” Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Managing Director and ISG Board Member Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani emphasized the historic financial and operational achievements attained in 2025. Ghani announced that the MAHB Group surpassed 153.3 million passengers overall, with 48.4 million of that traffic handled solely by Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). Achieving an extraordinary 36% increase in volume compared to 2019 levels, ISG became Europe’s 8th busiest airport according to Airports Council International (ACI) data and was declared “Europe’s Fastest Growing Airport” in its category.
According to the data presented at the meeting, ISG closed 2025 with 48.4 million passengers, breaking a massive record by exceeding pre-crisis 2019 levels by 36%. Entering 2026 with the same growth momentum, the airport achieved a 12.4% growth rate in the first quarter (Q1 2026), rising to the top in Europe in the “Majors” category and surpassing its Western competitors.
Ghani stated that ISG is confidently progressing toward becoming Europe’s hub center through new destinations, airline partnerships, and an expanding flight network, evaluating the success with the following remarks:
“The success chart we shared with you today represents far more than numbers; it reflects operational excellence achieved through tremendous dedication and hard work. This picture is not only an indicator of growth, but also of our quality service approach and our accurate investments for the future. We achieved significant success by reaching 15.3 million passengers in the first four months of 2026. Our international passenger traffic continues to grow, and our airport is strengthening its global connectivity every day through new destinations and airline partnerships. These results are the product of the valuable contributions of all our colleagues and our shared success.”
Strong leadership, clear responsibility: Organizational transformation
To manage its growing scale and strategic importance, ISG is also preparing its organizational structure for the future. During the meeting, it was announced that the Executive Director role had been reactivated to maximize corporate accountability, strong alignment, and interdepartmental cooperation. In this context, Hanita Ahmad, who was also appointed as ISG Executive Director and Board Member, assumed on-site leadership responsibility for all operational, commercial, technological, and administrative processes of the airport. This move, aimed at reflecting a high sense of responsibility onto operations, will enable the airport to manage its growth processes more agilely.
Speaking during the general information meeting, ISG Executive Director Hanita Ahmad stated:
“This growth achieved by Sabiha Gökçen Airport is proof of how strategically and accurately regional capacity is being managed. We provide maximum operational flexibility to our airline partners. We see these traffic records not as a ceiling, but as a new starting line for our future network optimizations.”
ISG ready for the future with artificial intelligence and digital transformation
Sabiha Gökçen is leading digitalization in terminal operations not only with passenger numbers but also with its strong technology vision. The Digital Twin project, which enables terminal and airside operations to be monitored from a single center and earned the airport a prestigious international award, stands as one of the most concrete examples of this transformation. A series of innovative solutions implemented as part of the operational excellence strategy are supported by a fully integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adaptation Program launched at the airport, carrying passenger experience and operational efficiency into the future.
Human-AI Hybrid Software Team: A hybrid software development team combining advanced AI agents with human expertise was established within ISG to accelerate and increase agility in solution development processes.
Advanced AI Solutions: Turnaround AI (Aircraft Turnaround Process Management), smart baggage belts with child/human detection, computer vision-based parking occupancy detection, and BHS (Baggage Handling System) forecasting tools were introduced.
Digital Passenger Experience: AI-supported digital assistant SAVVy, biometric transition systems, contactless self-service kiosks, smart baggage management, and the recently activated WhatsApp-based SAVVy assistant allowing passengers to instantly track flights and inquiries have optimized terminal processes to deliver maximum speed and comfort in the travel experience.
ISG becomes the region’s most valuable hub center with its global network
Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani stated that ISG will continue its vision of becoming the airport of the future through digitalization projects, AI-based applications, and investments for stronger infrastructure, continuing his remarks as follows:
“With its flight network extending from Europe to North Africa and from Asia to the Middle East, Sabiha Gökçen Airport’s seamless accessibility on its path to becoming the center of the world is not merely a statistic; it is a concrete reflection of the trust our airline partners place in us and the collective effort of our entire airport ecosystem. We connect the Turkish market and cultural heritage to the world, and the world to Türkiye. ISG, a meeting point of different cultures beyond borders, continues to serve as a bridge to the world with its global network. In the first five months of 2026, we launched a total of 9 new international routes; two new destinations and two new airlines, Nesma Airlines and Fly Cham, joined the ISG connectivity network. Today, we directly connect Istanbul with a total of 155 destinations in 55 countries, including 39 domestic and 116 international routes. We aim to continue this success, which is an important result of our strong connectivity network and passenger-focused approach, with new investments in the upcoming period.”
Sustainability and investment in people: ESG projects crowned with awards
Sabiha Gökçen continues to implement environmentally friendly and inclusive projects as part of its commitment to giving back to society and the environment:
Green Hospitality and Renewed Identity: Reopened during Tourism Week with a completely renewed and digitalized identity, ISG Airport Hotel initiated the technical evaluation process for globally respected GreenRE Certification for sustainable energy efficiency.
Social Responsibility and Environmental Campaigns: On May 31 World No Tobacco Day, the campaign “Because; It’s Called a Lung” was launched against cigarette butt pollution, while during Environment Week (June 1–7), a “Zero Waste” exhibition highlighting plastic pollution was opened on baggage belts in cooperation with the Istanbul Governorship.
Carrying the name of the world’s first female combat pilot Sabiha Gökçen with pride and responsibility, ISG places gender equality and women’s vision at the center of its corporate culture. This commitment is strengthened through “Brunch Talks: In the Footsteps of Sabiha Gökçen,” which increases the synergy of leading women across the aviation sector, and the documentary project “Women Without Limits in Aviation,” which brings inspiring success stories of aviation role models to wider audiences. The design and concept of this documentary, which deepens women’s impact in aviation, was internationally recognized by the Canada-based Institute for Women Of Aviation Worldwide (iWOAW), receiving the Creative Creator of the Week award during World Women of Aviation Week.
Malaysia Airports 2026 Sports Olympics: To strengthen corporate culture and employee engagement across the holding group, ISG will send a major delegation of 20 athletes representing the airport to the “Malaysia Airports 2026 Sports Olympics” (Sukan Malaysia Airports 2026) to be held in Malaysia this year. Employees will proudly represent ISG in branches such as futsal, football, volleyball, and bowling, strengthening bridges between the two cultures.
Closing the Town Hall meeting, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani thanked all ISG employees, saying:
“Every milestone we achieve is a reflection of your dedication; this success entirely belongs to the ISG Family, the lifeblood of aviation. As our company enters its next phase of growth, the strong stance and determination each of you demonstrates will be the greatest assurance of our future global achievements.”
With its data-driven network expansion strategy, smart terminal applications, and flexible operational strength, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen has once again proven that it is not merely a regional airport, but a high-efficiency global center shaping the future of world aviation.
