O’Hare International, iGA Istanbul Airports Launch Alliance

‍DALLAS — The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and iGA Istanbul Airport (IST) announced a new Sister Airport agreement between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and iGA Istanbul Airport (IST), Türkiye’s global gateway and leading transfer hub. Thus, connecting America’s best-connected hub with one of Europe’s fastest-growing global gateways.

Sister airport agreements encompass the establishment of joint working groups in various fields, including airport management, customer services, planning, operations, and sustainable development. This agreement was signed during a ceremony on June 20 at O’Hare’s Terminal 5. It was attended by executives from both airports and Türkiye's Consul General in Chicago.

“On behalf of Mayor Brandon Johnson, I’m proud to welcome iGA Istanbul Airport as O’Hare’s latest Sister Airport,” said CDA Commissioner Michael J. McMurray. 

By joining forces, the airports not only strengthen bonds between continents, cultures, and commerce but also lay the foundation for a future defined by deeper collaboration, innovation, and shared excellence.

“This sister airport agreement marks an exciting new chapter in the partnership between two global aviation powerhouses,” said Selahattin Bilgen, iGA Istanbul Airport CEO. 

Chicago and Türkiye already have strong business and cultural ties, with more than 20 investors from Türkiye active in local companies, a dozen Türkiye-headquartered firms operating offices in Chicago, and eight Chicago-based companies maintaining a presence in Türkiye. The Chicago metro area is also home to an estimated 5,000 residents born in Türkiye.

Sister Airport Alliances

Through this agreement, iGA Istanbul Airport has established its first sister airport partnership in the Americas. This partnership with Chicago enables iGA to strengthen its presence in the North American market and expand its global network. It’s expected that both sides will mutually benefit from the growing passenger and cargo potential in the region.

This is indeed the CDA’s 10th Sister Airport agreement, joining Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in the United Arab Emirates; Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de Mexico (MEX) in Mexico; Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) in China; Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) in Serbia; Birmingham Airport (BHX) in the United Kingdom; Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) in China; Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea; Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Ecuador; and Shanghai Airport (SHA) in China.

To date, iGA Istanbul Airport has signed sister airport agreements with Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea, Capital Airports Holding (CAH), Shanghai Airport Authority, and Sichuan Provincial Airport Group in China, Copenhagen Airport (CPH) in Denmark, Airports of Thailand (AOT), and Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).