Come DRIVE with me! Turkish Airlines hits the road as monumental task of moving entire operation from Ataturk to Istanbul in just 45 hours gets underway

• Turkish Airlines are completing the monumental task of moving their entire operation to Istanbul in 45 hours
• They began relocating from Ataturk early on Friday in an unprecedented logistical feat to end on Saturday
• It is one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s mega-projects as he faces push-back in local elections
• It promises to boost revenue and will be fully completed in 2027 with a cost projection of £6bn

Turkish Airlines are attempting an unprecedented logistical feat by moving all of their operations from Atuturk to Istanbul’s new airport within 45 hours. 

The relocation of Ataturk International Airport to Istanbul Airport on the Black Sea shores – dubbed the ‘Great Move’- began early Friday and is expected to end late on Saturday. 

The official website for the massive new airport proudly states: ‘This is not just an airport. It’s a monument to victory.’

It is scheduled to be fully completed by 2027 at a cost of £6bn and they say it will be the busiest airport in the world.

Workers prepare equipments to load to a Turkish airlines cargo plane on the last day of flight operations of the Ataturk International airport late on April 5

Airport employees move boxes in preparation for the closing of Ataturk airport on April 06, 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey

A truck carrying an airport vehicle from the Ataturk Airport arrives at Istanbul Airport within The Great Move in Istanbul, Turkey

Airport employees move furnitures in preparation for the closing of Ataturk airport as work began early on Friday morning

Bilal Eksi, CEO of flagship carrier Turkish Airlines, said 686 semi-trailer trucks and hundreds of other vehicles are moving equipment at night, and planes have started flying to the new airport.

The airline said on Twitter that the move was the largest in aviation history, with 10,000 pieces of equipment weighing 47,000 tons, covering an estimated size of 33 football fields.

The Istanbul Airport, one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s signature mega-projects, opened partially in October and will serve 90 million passengers annually.

Airport busses are headed towards the Istanbul Airport from the Ataturk Airport on the Northern Marmara Motorway within The Great Move

Workers transport equipment as part of the removal of the Ataturk Airport on the last day of flight operations of the Ataturk International airport late on Friday

Trucks carry equipment from Ataturk Airport to New Istanbul Airport as hulking cargo jets can be seen in the background

Workers load equipments on a truck as part of the removal of the Ataturk Airport on the last day of flight operations of the Ataturk International airport

It seeks to be the world’s biggest when fully expanded in 10 years to serve 200 million passengers each year.

Labour rights groups have said the rush to meet Erdogan’s deadline led to workplace accidents and deaths, while environmentalists argued the airport and the infrastructure to serve it destroyed forests and wetlands.

Ataturk Airport, ranked the 17th busiest in the world in 2018, will cease commercial operations at 02:00 am local on Saturday.

An airport bus is headed towards the Istanbul Airport from the Ataturk Airport on the Northern Marmara Motorway within The Great Move

A truck carrying a stairs vehicle from the Ataturk Airport arrives at Istanbul Airport as part of the mammoth logistical move early on Saturday morning

Airport vehicles departed from Ataturk Airport arrive at Istanbul Airport while operations to move Ataturk Airport

Staff members of the Ataturk Airport pose for a photo on the last day of flight operations as they prepare to make the move to the new base

Erdogan’s mega-projects have been a key part of Erdogan’s campaigning and the monumental task of moving the airport is crucial to his image. 

The news of the airport move comes as Erdogan faced a shock setback as the opposition snatched away his ruling party’s quarter-century-old stronghold of Ankara, the capital, in Turkey’s local election last Sunday.

The opposition also won a tight race in Istanbul, the country’s financial and cultural capital, where Erdogan himself rose to power as mayor in 1994.

Parts of the airport are still unfinished, according to the Guardian, with hangars and catering facilities still requiring more work.

At least 27 deaths are said to have occurred since construction started in 2015. 

Workers collect eqiupments in an empty hall of Ataturk Airport on the last day of flight operations of the airport in Istanbul

Airport busses are headed towards the Istanbul Airport from the Ataturk Airport on the Northern Marmara Motorway early on Saturday morning

Staff members stand near removal cartons past check-in counters in an empty hall of the Ataturk Airport, on the last day of flight operations

A staff member of ground service walks next to equipments on the tarmac of the Ataturk Airport on Friday as they prepare to ship out cargo

Trucks carry equipment from Ataturk Airport to New Istanbul Airport on April 06, 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey. Ataturk Airport was opened in 1953 and was the first international airport in Istanbul

In addition, ever since plans were started aviation experts raised serious concerns over the airport’s location close to the Black Sea, which brings with it fog, strong winds and a high bird population.

The chief concern of most citizens, however, will be cost and as with all of Erdogan’s projects he promises they will boost revenue.

Ataturk Airport was opened in 1953 and was the first international airport in Istanbul. It was named after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk the founder of modern Turkey. 

Source: Read Full Article