# Istanbul Airport Raises Jet Fuel Reserves to 350 Million Litres, Seven Times Heathrow's

> Istanbul Airport has lifted jet fuel storage to 350 million litres, enough for three weeks of flights.

- Published: 2026-10-18T18:14:22+00:00
- Section: Expansion
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-18/istanbul-airport-jet-fuel-stockpile
- Source: [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/18/istanbul-airport-stockpiles-jet-fuel-over-shortage-fears/)

## Key takeaways

- Istanbul Airport holds 350 million litres of kerosene on site, seven times Heathrow's 50 million litres.
- The stockpile sustains flights for three weeks without topping up, against around three days at Heathrow.
- Istanbul plans extra tanks to reach 500 million litres as it expands from around 86 million passengers this year to 120 million.

Istanbul Airport has increased its jet fuel reserves to 350 million litres, seven times the 50 million litres held at [Heathrow](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0004nz6/heathrow-airport-holdings), as concern grows over the Iran war's effect on global supplies. [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/18/istanbul-airport-stockpiles-jet-fuel-over-shortage-fears/) reported that the stockpile lets the Turkish hub sustain flights for three weeks without topping up its tanks.

## Istanbul Airport's 350 Million Litre Fuel Farm

The airport now holds 350 million litres of kerosene at its on-site fuel farm, according to The Telegraph. That compares with around three days of operations at Heathrow, which Istanbul overtook to become Europe's busiest hub in the summer. Istanbul Airport also has its own port, dredged to accommodate supertankers, which helps it draw fuel from around the world after disruption to Gulf exports. Before the war broke out, Europe obtained roughly half of its jet fuel from the Middle East.

Selahattin Bilgen, the chief executive of Istanbul Airport, said: "We are trying to monitor the situation but it's quite challenging. Things are changing every day." He said airlines may hold fuel and hedging contracts spanning weeks and months, but those become largely irrelevant if supplies are severed. "The risk is not about the contracts," he said. "If there's a force majeure event, problems with supply and procurement, that contract will not be able to help you."

Bilgen said storing fuel for extended periods and receiving direct seaborne deliveries from North and South America and West Africa has helped the airport bear down on fuel prices. Istanbul also sources jet fuel from local refineries, including one run by Azerbaijan's state oil company, which has redirected supplies away from exports towards Turkish airports. The airport opened in 2018 and was initially designed with only 50 million litres of fuel storage, a capacity lifted during the planning stage.

Heathrow said direct connections to a jet-fuel pipeline network spanning much of England provide a high degree of resilience and make stockpiling less important, according to The Telegraph. The airport began fuel deliveries by rail in 2019. Heathrow reported a 2.3% year-on-year fall in September passenger numbers to 7.18m, with Middle East traffic dropping 20.1%, according to Sharecast.com.

## Istanbul Airport's Runway and Connectivity Milestones

Istanbul Airport opened a fourth main runway on 18 September, part of its phase-two expansion, Air Cargo News reported. The €890m runway, 2,820m long, is intended to increase operational capacity and reduce holding and taxi times, and the airport's cargo volumes rose 10.8% year on year to over 1m tonnes. Hurriyetdailynews reported that the runway, attended by President Erdoğan at its opening, brought the airport to six runways.

Daily Sabah reported that Istanbul Airport ranked first globally in connectivity power in 2026, overtaking Frankfurt and London Heathrow. The hub, which opened its fourth runway in September, serves as a key east-west transit point amid Middle East tensions.

## Istanbul Airport's 500 Million Litre Storage Plan

Istanbul Airport plans to add more storage tanks to take capacity to 500 million litres, as part of an attempt to expand from around 86 million passengers this year to 120 million, according to The Telegraph. Bilgen said the extra storage could be installed earlier if the situation required, extending reserves to more than a month.

## Companies in this story

- Istanbul Airport · website: https://istanbulhavalimani.aero
- [Heathrow Airport Holdings company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0004nz6/heathrow-airport-holdings) · website: https://www.heathrow.com

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