Istanbul, May 17, 2026 – The Halkalı-Istanbul Airport-Gayrettepe Metro Line, a crucial infrastructure project for Istanbul, is on the verge of full operation. The final segment, the Arnavutköy-Halkalı line, is undergoing its last stages of testing and commissioning, promising to drastically cut down travel times and ease the city’s traffic burden.
Arnavutköy-Halkalı Line Nears Completion
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that work on the Arnavutköy-Halkalı section, the last phase of the Halkalı-Istanbul Airport-Gayrettepe Metro Project, is almost complete. The project was divided into two main sections: the Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport Metro Line and the Istanbul Airport-Halkalı Metro Line.
The Kağıthane-Istanbul Airport segment of the Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport Line was opened on January 22, 2023, followed by the Kağıthane-Gayrettepe section on January 29, 2024. More recently, the 14-kilometer Cargo Terminal-Arnavutköy Hospital section of the Istanbul Airport-Halkalı Line began service on March 19, 2024.
“One of the Longest in the World”
Uraloğlu emphasized the significance of the 17.5-kilometer Arnavutköy-Halkalı section. “We are nearing completion of the work on the 17.5-kilometer Arnavutköy-Halkalı section. We have finished the fine works at the stations, and we are currently making the final touches on landscaping and environmental arrangements. We are close to completing the testing and commissioning works on the Arnavutköy-Halkalı Line. Once this section is finished, we will have completed Turkey’s longest and fastest, and one of the world’s longest, 69-kilometer underground metro ring line under the name of the Halkalı-Istanbul Airport-Gayrettepe Metro Project,” he stated.
With the entire line becoming operational, the travel time between Halkalı and Istanbul Airport will be reduced to 30 minutes. This development is expected to provide substantial relief to Istanbul’s dense urban traffic.
Significant Reductions in Travel Times
The full integration of the metro line will create a comprehensive transport network. It will connect with the Vezneciler-Sultangazi-Fenertepe Metro at Fenertepe Station, the Bakırköy-Kirazlı-Başakşehir-Kayaşehir Metro at Kayaşehir Station, the Ataköy-İkitelli-Olimpiyat Metro at Olimpiyatköy Station, and the Kabataş-Mecidiyeköy-Mahmutbey-Bahçeşehir-Esenyurt Metro at Halkalı Stadium Station. Furthermore, at Halkalı Station, the line will integrate with the Yenikapı-Kirazlı-Halkalı Metro and Marmaray.
Uraloğlu highlighted the impressive time savings: “Thanks to the integrations, travel time from Halkalı to Istanbul Airport will decrease to 30 minutes, Halkalı to Göktürk to 43 minutes, Halkalı to Kağıthane to 54 minutes, Halkalı to Gayrettepe to 57 minutes, Küçükçekmece to Kemerburgaz to 50 minutes, and Başakşehir (Metrokent) to Kağıthane to 48 minutes.”
This extensive metro network is poised to transform urban commuting in Istanbul, offering residents and visitors a faster, more efficient, and more comfortable travel experience.
