İstanbul Yeni Havalimanı (from turkish: Istanbul New Airport) is the name of the new gigantic Turkish airport built in the north of Istanbul, the future HUB of Turkish Airlines and probably nerve center of world air traffic in the coming years.
His numbers are impressive:
– an area of 76.5 million square meters, 1,500,000 m2 indoor;
– 90 million passengers/year at the opening, 200 million/year, at full capacity;
– 5.5 million kg cargo capacity;
– 225700 new jobs;
– 6 runways;
– 500 parking spaces for aircraft;
– 165 aircraft jet bridges;
– 4 terminal buildings, with rail access between terminals;
– 3 technical blocks;
– 1 Control Tower, spectacular!
an immense and courageous project that the Turkish government has undertaken with all the risks and problems that bring such challenges to increase the economic progress of the Turkish nation.
In this context, within this megaproject the Turkey Technology Team Foundation (T3) organized the 1st edition of TeknoFest Istanbul, the first Turkish aerospace and technology Expo held from 20 to 23 September 2018.
Sponsors of this new event are many of Turkey’s hi-tech industries, Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Government itself. Also present were many other international companies and several European start-ups, all intending to follow the request of the organizers and the Turkish government to invest in the Eurasian state.
To emphasize even more the importance of the event in the future world, there have been many government presences including the most important person in the government: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan, landed with his governmental Gulfstream G550 escorted by 3 F16 of the Turkish Air Force, in military pilot’s suit (complete with anti-G suit), wanted to be present to demonstrate his interest in the technological and economic development of Turkey. An interest that he expressed in his speech to the public in which he mentioned the importance of moving forward in this technological challenge that can help improve the national economy (which in this period is burdened by a severe crisis) and the importance of investments that the nation is doing and which are also represented by events like the TeknoFest.
In addition to the various political authorities, Teknofest Istanbul has also welcomed over 500,000 people to the event, a huge turnout of an audience very interested in what was proposed by the Turkish Expo. Drones, robots, IT, new civil and military technologies, civil and military aircraft, civil and military aerobatic flight displays, drone competitions, start-up presentation and possible fields of investment, games, flight simulations and aerospace experiences, and then again concerts and many seminars that have kept the participants busy during the four days of the event. And there are also many surprises, including the speed challenge between an F16 interceptor fighter (SoloTürk), a private jet, a Tesla, a Lotus Evora GT 430, an Aston Martin Vantage, a Red Bull F1 and the Kawasaki Ninja H2R.
Challenge that saw the victory of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R driven by the 5 times Supersport world champion: the Turkish Kenan Sofuoğlu.
Among the pleasant surprises, Friday, the display of a Boeing 777 of Turkish Airlines who later flew in formation with the aerobatic team of the Turkish Air Force: the Turkish Stars. And in the following days also many other surprises both on land and in flight.
An Expo of technology with a large audience, with civil and military industries, with the participation of many important personalities with a precise plan: to give Turkey a starting point in order to get out of the economic crisis and present itself to the world not only as a the union between two of the continents that have most influenced the history of science and technology worldwide, but also as a new center of investments and technological growth and consequently also economic growth.
The TeknoFest concluded its first challenge on Sunday 23 September 2018, opening up to the world a new and interesting window on a Turkey that wants to offer itself to world investors. We just have to wait for the next appointment with Turkey and the next TeknoFest, where we hope to see the developments of this interesting project and also the new airport in operation.
From Istanbul: Daniele Maiolo.
