Airports Istanbul prepares for airport move

This airport swap is reportedly the biggest in aviation history. Therefore, preparations have to be done well in advance, as every little detail has to be taken into account. These preparations are now coming to a close.

To ensure a smooth airport transfers, trainings are part of the process. These trainings are called ORAT (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) and include over 9,000 people and 10 real aircraft.

The Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of İGA-İstanbul New Airport H. Kadri Samsunlu said: "The transfer to İstanbul New Airport will be the biggest ever airport transfer in the world. There have been no airports transferred further than 45 km in the world. Since 2016, we have been meticulously carrying out our works regarding the transfer to İstanbul New Airport. At this point, we have finished the trainings of airlines, particularly Turkish Airlines, ground services and other stakeholders, all in order to ensure their orientation to the airport in the operation preparation process."

Over the course of the ORAT process, trials with 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 people are about to take place. Over the past two years, Turkish Ground Services, employees of Turkish Airlines and Havas Celebi and the employees of other stakeholders at the airport were provided with overall 27,522 class trainings and 28,225 field trainings.

46 scenarios have been tested since May this year. These trials will be continued until the launch of operations at the New Istanbul Airport. The trials help to understand the readiness of all systems, procedures and equipment. Employees have the opportunity to simulate their work under realistic operational conditions.