Exclusive - International Terminal of Istanbul's New Airport. The first phase of Istanbulâs new airport is due to open in October 2018, and once it is complete, it is expected to become the worldâs busiest airport. Istanbul New Airport will be constructed over an area of 76.5 million square meters to the north of Ä°stanbul, 35km away from the city centre. The construction will be carried out in four phases, and the first is scheduled to open on 29 October, Turkeyâs Republic Day. It will comprise of three runways and a terminal with a capacity for 90 million passengers. Once complete, the new airport will have six runways and will host flights going to more than 300 destinations. It will have an annual passenger capacity of up to 200 million people, making it the worldâs busiest airport. Photo by Tolga Adanali/Depo Photos/ABACAPRESS.COM