Editing Atatürk Airport (section)

== History ==
=== Growth and development ===
In 1911, a small apron with two hangars was built in Yeşilköy, Istanbul, for the Ottoman Armed Forces.<ref name="aip_ltba">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/publicuser/protect/pu/main.jsp |access-date=29 January 2019 |title=EUROCONTROL - the European AIS Database: Introduction to EAD Basic - Home }}</ref> [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] founded Türk Tayyare Cemiyeti (Turkish Aircraft Company, today [[Turkish Aeronautical Association|Türk Hava Kurumu - THK]]) in 1925. In 1933, today's [[Turkish Airlines]], the Türkiye Devlet Hava Yolları started its flights with two [[Curtiss Kingbird]] aircraft. Flights from Istanbul to Ankara and Athens began. The small apron was expanded and a new passenger terminal was built. This is considered the beginning of the airport's 86-year history. It was originally named ''Yeşilköy Airport''. In the 1980s, it was renamed ''Atatürk International Airport''.

It served more than 60 million passengers in 2015, making it the [[World's busiest airports by passenger traffic|11th-busiest airport in the world]] in terms of total passenger traffic and the [[World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic|10th-busiest in the world]] in terms of international passenger traffic. In 2017, it was [[Europe]]'s [[List of the busiest airports in Europe|5th-busiest airport]] after [[Heathrow Airport|London–Heathrow]], [[Charles de Gaulle Airport|Paris–Charles de Gaulle]], [[Frankfurt Airport]], and [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol]], having fallen from third place after a decline in passengers due to security fears.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-13/-full-heathrow-extends-european-hub-lead-as-terror-hurts-rivals|publisher=Bloomberg Business |access-date=15 January 2016|title='Full' Heathrow Extends European Hub Lead as Terror Hurts Rivals}}</ref>

=== Closure ===
Istanbul Atatürk Airport was replaced in regards to commercial passenger functions by the newly constructed [[Istanbul Airport]], in April 2019, in order to meet Istanbul's growing [[Domestic market|domestic]] and international air traffic demand as a source, destination, and transit point. Both airports were used in parallel for five months from late 2018, with the new airport gradually expanding to serve more domestic and regional destinations.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kucukgocmen |first1=Ali |date=29 October 2018 |title=Erdogan opens new 'Istanbul Airport', Turkey's biggest |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-airport/erdogan-opens-new-istanbul-airport-turkeys-biggest-idUSKCN1N3278 |access-date=}}</ref> On 6 April 2019, Atatürk's ''IST'' [[IATA airport code]] was inherited by Istanbul Airport and Atatürk Airport was assigned the code ''ISL'' after the full transfer of all scheduled passenger activities to the new airport was completed.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-02-19 |title=Istanbul New Airport to affect entire European airspace |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/business/2018/02/19/istanbul-new-airport-to-affect-entire-european-airspace |access-date= |website=[[Daily Sabah]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The final commercial flight, Turkish Airlines Flight 54, left Atatürk Airport on 6 April 2019 at 02:44 for [[Changi Airport|Singapore]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 April 2019 |title=Last flight leaves Ataturk as Istanbul switches airports |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-airport-idUSKCN1RI0CY |access-date=}}</ref>

On 5 February 2022, [[Turkish Cargo]] relocated all cargo flights and operations from their former hub at the airport to the new [[Istanbul Airport]].<ref>[https://aircargoworld.com/news/airports/turkish-cargo-completes-transition-to-new-istanbul-airport/ aircargoworld.com - Turkish Cargo completes transition to new Istanbul Airport] 8 February 2022</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-02-08 |title=Turkish Cargo bids farewell to Atatürk Airport, shifts to new hub |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/business/transportation/turkish-cargo-bids-farewell-to-ataturk-airport-shifts-to-new-hub |access-date= |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Atatürk Airport National Garden ===
Turkey's government announced its plans to construct a giant park on the grounds of the former Istanbul Atatürk Airport (whose operations were transferred to the new Istanbul Airport) in 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ataturk Airport from a Global Airport to a Beach Park {{!}} CCT Investments |url=https://www.cctinvestments.com/ataturk-airport-from-a-global-airport-to-a-beach-park/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> The park is part of a larger urban transformation plan that seeks to correct some of the haphazard urban planning that characterised most major Turkish cities since the 1970s.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=SABAH |first=DAILY |date=2020-06-05 |title=10 new parks open as Turkey seeks to make cities greener |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/10-new-parks-open-as-turkey-seeks-to-make-cities-greener/news |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US}}</ref> Due to the little space available to construct or expand green spaces, new parks are often constructed on spots formerly occupied by factories or other major facilities.

The Atatürk Airport National Garden will be constructed on and around one of the two runways of Atatürk Airport.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Discovery Istanbul: The green city |url=https://www.petitfute.co.uk/v42351-istanbul/decouvrir/d67-the-green-city/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=www.petitfute.co.uk}}</ref> These runways were already rendered unusable after they were chosen as the site for Istanbul's pandemic hospital in early 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oryx |title=Atatürk Airport National Garden - The Green Lung Of Istanbul |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/06/ataturk-airport-national-garden-green.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Oryx}}</ref> More than 132,500 trees are to be planted in place of the asphalt runway and taxiways that will also help to keep the city cooler.<ref name=":0" /> The other runway is set to remain in use for select cargo and private jet flights, aviation fairs (such as Teknofest) and for use by the [[Turkish Air Force]] (which still maintains a small training base and the [[Istanbul Aviation Museum]] here).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The leader of the [[Republican People's Party]] (CHP) [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] called the proposed construction of the park "treason" and threatened to hold those responsible to account.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sabah |first=Daily |date=2022-05-17 |title=Istanbul's old airport set to get green makeover amid opposition |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/istanbul/istanbuls-old-airport-set-to-get-green-makeover-amid-opposition |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US}}</ref>

Construction commenced in 2022.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-02-12 |title=Top court rules against construction of ‘nation’s garden’ at İstanbul’s former airport after its demolition |url=https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/02/12/top-court-ruled-against-construction-of-nation-garden-at-istanbuls-former-airport-after-its-demolition/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Turkish Minute |language=}}</ref> First areas of the park were opened to the public in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-06 |title=Atatürk Havalimanı Millet Bahçesi'nin ilk etabı açıldı |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/ataturk-havalimani-millet-bahcesinin-ilk-etabi-acildi/2890882 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=[[Anadolu Agency]] |language=tr}}</ref> In 2024, the [[Council of State (Turkey)|Council of State]] cancelled the construction [[Invitation to tender|tender]], following a lawsuit filed by [[Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality]].<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-02-12 |title=Turkish State Council cancels Urbanization Ministry’s nation garden project for Atatürk Airport |url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-state-council-cancels-urbanization-ministrys-nation-garden-project-for-ataturk-airport-news-63828 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Duvar English}}</ref>