Dear readers,
At Sabiha Gökçen Airport, on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, which has been carrying an ever-increasing passenger load for years, an important yet relatively low-profile transformation has been taking place recently. The first phase of the Terminal 1 Renovation Project has been completed, and in fact this step represents a very critical threshold for the airport’s future.
Terminal 1… The building that was once used as the main terminal, then fell relatively into the background with the opening of Terminal 2. Now it is being brought back into the game. But this time not on its own; rather, integrated with Terminal 2, more in line with a “satellite terminal” concept.
When you look at what has been done in the first phase, it is not hard to see that this is more than just a refurbishment. A long connecting corridor linking Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, a new remote aircraft waiting lounge, increased car park capacity and transport arrangements… Each of these is a small but effective intervention addressing the congestion the airport has experienced for years.
The issue of the remote aircraft waiting lounge is particularly important. Even if passengers travel to the aircraft by bus, they no longer wait in cramped, inadequate spaces. It is a facility designed with everything in mind, from a children’s play area to food and beverage outlets, from a prayer room to duty-free.
Of course, this is only the beginning. The real picture will become clear once the second and third phases are completed. The full activation of Terminal 1, additional gates, expanded passenger areas and an additional annual capacity of 5.5 million… On paper these may look like mere figures, but on the ground they translate into shorter queues, less chaos and a more manageable passenger flow.
What really stands out here is that growth is being achieved without building a new terminal, by intelligently transforming the existing infrastructure. Reconfiguring the current building in line with today’s needs instead of pouring more concrete… Frankly, this approach is not something we are used to seeing in every major project in Turkey.
Sabiha Gökçen is already busy. Everyone feels this, especially in the summer months, during public holidays and at weekends. Bringing Terminal 1 into operation may not completely eliminate this intensity, but it will allow the airport to breathe. And sometimes, the most important thing for a system is exactly that: being able to breathe.
When the phases are completed next year, Sabiha Gökçen will become an airport serving more than 50 million passengers.
In short, the impact of Terminal 1’s transformation will be significant. Rather than grand opening ceremonies, such steps that make daily life easier for passengers are perhaps the most valuable of all infrastructure projects.
There is a frequently asked question:
“Why is Turkey still not building its own passenger aircraft?”
The answer is not simple, but the summary is this:
Building an aircraft is difficult; building its engine is almost a lifetime’s work.
The Story of an Aircraft Without an Engine Remains Incomplete
Is a passenger aircraft merely a pile of metal gliding through the sky? What carries it safely is not the wing, but the engine. It must be quiet, fuel-efficient, reliable and capable of operating for years. Moreover, it must do this not on a single flight, but over thousands of flights.
Today, the number of countries capable of producing civil passenger aircraft engines does not exceed three:
The United States, the United Kingdom and a few partnerships formed around them.
In other words, making a civil engine does not end with simply “getting it to run”. The real issue is keeping that engine alive for 20–30 years.
Similar questions are being asked about the TF10000 engine, which I have been hearing about frequently recently:
“Can it be used in a passenger aircraft?”
No, it cannot.
The TF10000 is a fighter aircraft engine. It is noisy, powerful and designed to deliver maximum performance in a short time. The complete opposite of a passenger aircraft engine. But what really matters is the know-how this engine brings us.
From turbine blades to the combustion chamber, from high-temperature materials to test infrastructure… Without these, civil aviation cannot even be discussed. In my view, the TF10000 is not a target, but a threshold.
Saying “we are building a domestic passenger aircraft” sounds appealing. But in the kitchen of this business, there are questions like these:
Who will certify the engine?
Who will overcome the noise and emission limits?
When that engine fails 15 years later, who will take responsibility?
The realistic path is clear:
First small civil engines, then certification experience, followed by an ecosystem that grows patiently. This path is not short. It does not take five years. It requires twenty.
The issue of a domestic and national passenger aircraft is a matter of stability, will and continuity.
If the determination shown today in the defence industry can be carried over into civil aviation tomorrow, why should Turkey not be able to build its own passenger aircraft?
I wish all aviation professionals a safe and peaceful week.
