Rapidly progressing toward becoming a global aviation hub, İGA Istanbul Airport has signed a “Sister Airport” agreement with Chicago O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest transit centres in the United States. Through this strategic cooperation, the two airports will develop joint projects in areas such as operational efficiency, customer service, sustainability, and logistics integration, supporting each other’s growth objectives.
A Strategic Partnership in Global Aviation
The sisterhood agreement signed between İGA Istanbul Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport aims not only to foster knowledge exchange at the airport management level but also to boost passenger and cargo traffic between the two hubs. This collaboration is expected to strengthen Istanbul’s position in the North American market and stands out as a noteworthy development in the global aviation sector.
This partnership marks the tenth sister airport relationship for Chicago and the first for İGA on the American continent. It is also Istanbul Airport’s seventh international sister airport protocol overall.
İGA Advances Toward Global Leadership
According to the “2025 Airport Industry Connectivity Report” published by ACI EUROPE, İGA Istanbul Airport has surpassed Frankfurt to become the world’s most connected airport. Selected as “Europe’s most connected airport” in both 2024 and 2025, İGA continues to expand its global network with direct flights to over 330 destinations.
CEO Selahattin Bilgen: “Our Presence in North America Will Strengthen”
İGA Istanbul Airport CEO Selahattin Bilgen commented on the agreement:
“The sister airport partnership we’ve established with O’Hare International is a key step in strengthening Istanbul Airport’s presence in the North American market. Through knowledge and experience sharing, both parties will gain concrete benefits in passenger and cargo transportation. We will also build new bridges between the Turkish community and business world in Chicago and American investors in Turkey.”
Message of Support from Chicago
Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, Michael J. McMurray, also shared his thoughts:
“We are pleased to welcome İGA Istanbul Airport as O’Hare’s newest sister airport. This partnership will contribute to building a stronger relationship between two global connection hubs.”
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