Antalya, a major tourist destination on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coast, is undergoing a major expansion of its airport to accommodate the growing number of foreign visitors.
The international airport is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation and expansion project that will double its annual passenger capacity from 40 million to 80 million.
The first phase of the project, which began in January 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in January 2025, includes the construction of a new runway, terminal building, and cargo handling facility.
The project is partly financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which extended in April a 140-million euro loan (153.6 million U.S. dollars) to the airport.
“We aim to expand the tourism season to 12 months a year, moving beyond just the summer boom. This project can help us achieve that goal,” Durdali Savkar, Antalya airport chief manager, told Xinhua.
Finishing the Antalya airport expansion will also lead to new jobs, giving a boost to the local and national economies, the airport manager added.
Tourism is a major economic driver for Turkey, contributing about 10 percent of the country’s GDP and employing about 1.7 million people.
