In 42 months from zero to 90 million

In three and a half years, the new airport of Istanbul will be built. A place reveals in which the chief, why he adheres to schedule and Budget.

Yusuf Akçayoğlu did not hesitate for one second. "Yes, we will be on time, be ready," says the site Manager of the Istanbul New Airport and, thus, the largest construction project in Turkey. After only 42 months of construction, is on 29. October 2018, the new airport of the Turkish city in operation. "On that day, the Big Bang – all scheduled flights will not start at Ataturk airport and land, but on the Istanbul New Airport."

The Opening 29. October 2018. To this date, Turkey celebrates the Nation as a reminder of the proclamation of the Republic in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Without a new airport, no growth

Still, one can imagine the. Where in the twelve months of the airplanes in the sky to rise, driving today the car is still a load of caravans through the countryside. You bring the soil generated during the removal of hills and Digging of foundations on the 76.5 million square meter site to the North-West of Istanbul. Dust is in the air, the flickers due to the hot autumn sun.

And yet what is here once already from afar. Two 3750-Meter-long slopes, were already paved in the floor of the 95-metre-high control tower stretches even in the height and in the distance, the massive is to recognize the Central terminal to the passenger boarding bridges like tentacles to the outside and in some Places the facade glazing was installed to protrude. Everywhere, workers are busily at work. Route the cable, mount the ceiling panels, welding together steel girders or connect the tracks of the baggage system.

A small town

"This is a Must project for Turkey", says project Manager Akçayoğlu. Istanbul lying geographically in an ideal location between Europe and Asia, therefore, it is an ideal place to Change trains. The Turkish Airlines knows. The national airline has committed to a course of expansion, based on this knowledge. "Without a new airport, further growth would not be possible," said Akçayoğlu. The Ataturk airport is working at the Limit – or about.

In Turkey, the plan is generous, to correct this deficiency. The new airport on the black sea coast was supposed to be able to 150 million passengers per year to record and the largest in the world. The political mood between Europe and Turkey is currently poisoned, and the tourists are currently rare in the country travel with Turkish AIrlines booking, taking care of Akçayoğlu little. "If you adjust with such a large project, the planning the whole time to Short-term events, then it's not good," he says. "Such shocks, such as after the terrorist attacks in Istanbul and the coup will not last forever. The passengers will come back. The man has seen the world. Therefore, I believe that the Numbers will recover quickly and we see this already now." For the first time in two years, this summer increased as the number of visitors in Turkey.

Unnecessary abandon

Away from such discussions of 32,000 workers to go on the Istanbul New Airport day-to-day work. They come from Turkey, but also from countries such as Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Many men and some women live in a separate small container city on the edge of the site, which is as large as the 11,000 football pitches. It has its own hospital, its own school, its own shops.

Not only time Akçayoğlu and his Team are up now in the Plan. Also, the Budget you have met so far. The total construction cost estimated at approximately € 10.5 billion. "The reason is that we build no luxury airport, as often happens in the Persian Gulf. We build the airport so that it is for the passengers practical and functional. Unnecessary, we do without," says the Chef his secret.

With the boat on the site

Almost more importantly for him, but, as you had done. "In English it's called a BOT or build, operate, transfer. We do not build the airport, but to also have the license to operate it for 25 years. To prevent conflicts of interest. I have self-interest to be possible to finish early. Because it is only when the airport is ready to flow, and revenue," said Akçayoğlu. All the quarrels between the construction company, the Client and the operator fell off. The studied Geomatics knows what he is talking about. He has accompanied the construction of the airports of Doha, Muscat, King Khaled in Riyadh and the Midfield Terminal in Abu Dhabi. "I know that from many of my previous airport projects. It is the point where it's been in a fight always came to what is now a part of exactly to order and what not. This always leads to Budget and time overruns. The can't give it to a BOT model."

This is not to say that there has also been at the Istanbul New Airport problems. "There were difficult moments," says Akçayoğlu. "We have taken many things here at the same time, in order to be able to finish in time. While in many places the soil has been removed, was started at the Other, to dig the pit for the Foundation of the terminal." This has saved time, but also had a disadvantage, such as one in the Morning. "Once it started to rain very heavily. The walls of the pit looked like the Niagara falls, so much water ran down. And in the pit was a lake. My men had to take the boat over to the construction site" says the site Manager.

Parking, Bus Station, Subway Station

Another Time, the weather was crazy as well. "We had decided, the baggage handling system installed before the roof of the terminal was built. It is summer – we thought. Because nothing can happen. And then a completely unexpected Thunderstorm came. We then had to raise it quickly, a temporary roof," says the head of the mega project, a consortium of five Turkish companies from the sectors of construction, tourism, energy, port management and airport operations. Each Partner holds one-fifth of the shares.

Akçayoğlu, promises the passengers of the mega airport much. "It is a great airport, but the comfort will still be big". You set it to a number of technical tools to guide the passengers, such as a special App. "That's not all: The Parking is right next to the Terminal, the Bus and metro Station, all the passengers will be able to a passenger boarding bridge and boarding, and much more". To date, approximately 65 percent of the construction works are completed.

Even the Name is missing

Only a Problem that is not solved at the Istanbul New Airport: the airport after its opening, is officially hot. Also Akçayoğlu doesn't know it yet. "The decision rests entirely with the government. We do not know as well. In Turkey, airports are named usually according to Turkish personalities. There is plenty of choice," he says. And diplomatically, he then adds, "it is Clear that behind this project was the Vision of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."

How it looks currently on the site, you can see in the above picture gallery And how the finished airport will look like, read the article under "More on topic".

Posted by John at 2017-10-08.