Europe's largest wide-body aircraft engine maintenance center to be established at Istanbul Airport

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Europe's largest wide-body aircraft engine maintenance center will be established at Istanbul Airport, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, the Turkish transport minister announced Thursday.

"Through our collaboration with Rolls-Royce, we will become Europe's largest wide-body aircraft engine maintenance center. We expect our facility to reach an annual engine maintenance capacity of 200, generating $1.5 billion in annual revenue for Turkish Airlines," Abdulkadir Uraloglu said during the groundbreaking ceremony in Istanbul.

Uraloglu said that with the total investment value exceeding 100 billion Turkish liras ($2.32 billion) across eight locations, primarily Istanbul Airport, eight mega projects were initiated, including the world's largest in-flight catering facility and the second phase of SmartIST, the world's largest air cargo terminal.

Uraloglu pointed out that, thanks to a special concession from Rolls-Royce, high-tech repairs could be carried out in Türkiye, emphasizing that these repairs would generate over $2.5 billion in additional revenue within 22 years.

The project will create a total of 1,000 new jobs, including over 900 qualified technical personnel, and this employment will increase the skilled workforce in Türkiye's aviation sector and provide young people with global-level experience, according to Uraloglu.

"These investments are not just facilities; they are tangible symbols of Türkiye's determined rise in global aviation leadership, the momentum it adds to our economy, and our vision for the future. As you know, our country has one of the most advantageous geographical locations in the world, strategically situated in the middle of the Afro-Eurasian geography, that is, between the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa, known as the old world landmasses," he said.

The minister said that they have made a groundbreaking leap in the skies with this project, and mentioned that Turkish Airlines, the flag carrier, opened a new chapter at the pinnacle of aviation.

Uraloglu said that the country has made it a tradition to raise the flag of aviation higher every new year. "On January 4, with 2,177 transit flights, we broke the all-time record, surpassing the previous record of 1,906 flights recorded on August 31, 2025," he added.

Uraloglu said that the total air traffic reached more than 2.5 million in 2025, and noted that air traffic, including the overflights served, showed a 9.3% increase compared to 2024.

- Turkish Cargo's cargo handling capacity to reach 4.5 million tons

Uraloglu said that SmartIST, the hub of Turkish Cargo, is the largest air cargo terminal in Europe and the third largest in the world under one roof.

"The facility's usable area will increase from 205,000 square meters to 410,000 square meters, and its cargo handling capacity will increase from 2.2 million tons to 4.5 million tons, propelling Turkish Cargo to global leadership. Our new catering facility, which will be the world's largest aircraft catering center with a new capacity to serve 500,000 people daily, will take the travel experience with Turkish Airlines to the next level," he said.

Uraloglu stressed that the project in question would strengthen not only Turkish Airlines but also the Turkish economy, saying: "Within the scope of these massive investments totaling 100 billion Turkish liras, 26,000 new jobs will be created in 2026, and our aviation ecosystem will continue to grow."