AECOM wins contract to design world's largest new airport

Global, integrated infrastructure services company AECOM has secured a contract to design a new airport in Istanbul that will be the world's largest new airport in terms of annual passenger capacity.

Istanbul New Airport will have a planned annual capacity of 150 million passengers.

AECOM will design all the airside works for the project, including the three initial runways, taxiways, apron, associated drainage systems, airfield ground lighting and navigational aids. The company will be supported by its delivery partner, Deltaturk, a Turkish consultancy. AECOM will also deliver construction supervision services.

The fast track programme will require AECOM to deliver its designs within one year, with the airport due to open in early 2018. The works to be designed cover an area of approximately 16 square kilometres and will be completed by specialist teams in the UK and Turkey.

AECOM’s client is IGA, a consortium of five leading Turkish contractors comprising Cengiz, Mapa, Limak, Kolin and Kalyon. IGA won the concession to build the scheme as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor and will also be the operator.

Yusuf Akçayoğlu, chief executive officer of IGA Construction, said: “Istanbul New Airport is an important investment for the future of Turkey, expected to contribute more than €32.4 billion + VAT to the Turkish economy during construction and in its first 25 years of operation, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. With flights to more than 350 destinations, the airport will make Istanbul one of the leading global aviation hubs in the world.”

Bernardo Gogna, senior vice president and director of global aviation, AECOM, said: “The demand for mega hub airports is growing, with the most successful cities investing in air travel to attract international trade. Straddling the East and West, this ambitious plan will see Istanbul quickly become one of the most connected cities in the world. AECOM will work closely with IGA to provide global and local aviation expertise for this prestigious project.”

The airport will be Istanbul’s third airport and will have an initial capacity of 90 million passengers per year. It will be located on the European side of the city, 35 kilometres from the centre on a site adjacent to the Black Sea. Subsequent planned phases will expand the airport to include six runways and three terminal buildings. When all phases are complete, the airport will have an annual capacity in excess of 150 million passengers.