We are proud to announce the official opening of our new Izmir Operations Center, located in the Aegean Free Zone adjacent to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. This 4,200 square meter facility represents a significant investment in our capacity to serve the Aegean region's thriving export economy, bringing faster pickup times, dedicated cargo handling, and local expertise directly to businesses in western Turkey.
Why Izmir? The Aegean Region's Export Powerhouse
Izmir is Turkey's third-largest city and one of its most important export hubs. The Aegean region surrounding Izmir accounts for approximately 18% of Turkey's total exports, with key sectors including textiles and apparel, fresh produce and food products, chemicals, machinery, and automotive components. The region is home to over 12,000 exporting companies, many of which have historically had to route their air freight through Istanbul — adding time, cost, and complexity to their logistics chains.
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport has seen significant growth in cargo volumes over the past three years, with total throughput reaching 85,000 tonnes in 2024 — a 34% increase over 2022. Several major airlines have added or expanded cargo services at the airport, creating the foundation for a genuine regional cargo hub.
Izmir Operations Center — Key Facts
- Location: Aegean Free Zone, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport
- Facility size: 4,200 m² (warehouse + offices)
- Temperature-controlled storage: 800 m² (2–8°C and 15–25°C zones)
- Staff: 45 logistics and customs professionals
- Operating hours: 24/7, 365 days a year
- Capacity: Up to 500 tonnes per day
What the New Center Offers
The Izmir Operations Center is a full-service air freight facility, not just a pickup point. Our team in Izmir can handle every aspect of your air freight shipment from origin to destination:
Cargo Pickup and Consolidation
Our fleet of dedicated cargo vehicles covers the entire Aegean region, with scheduled pickup routes serving Izmir city center, the Organized Industrial Zones of Kemalpaşa, Atatürk, and Çiğli, as well as the agricultural production areas of Manisa, Aydın, and Denizli. Same-day pickup is available for bookings made before 14:00 local time.
Temperature-Controlled Handling
The Aegean region is one of Turkey's most important agricultural export areas, producing figs, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, and a wide range of fresh vegetables. Our Izmir center includes 800 square meters of temperature-controlled storage, enabling us to handle perishable cargo with the care it requires. We are GDP-certified for pharmaceutical handling and IATA CEIV Pharma accreditation is in progress.
On-Site Customs Clearance
Our Izmir team includes licensed customs brokers who can handle export customs clearance directly at the facility, eliminating the need to transport goods to Istanbul for customs processing. This typically saves 12–24 hours in the export process for Aegean region shippers.
"Opening in Izmir is about more than adding capacity — it's about being present in the communities where our clients operate, understanding their specific needs, and delivering a level of service that a distant Istanbul office simply cannot match."
Direct Routes from Izmir
One of the key advantages of the new center is access to direct air cargo routes from Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. We have established partnerships with airlines operating direct freighter and belly cargo services from Izmir to:
- Frankfurt, Germany — 3 weekly freighter departures
- Amsterdam, Netherlands — 4 weekly belly cargo services
- Dubai, UAE — 5 weekly services (connecting to Middle East and Asia)
- London Heathrow — 3 weekly belly cargo services
- Milan Malpensa — 2 weekly services
For destinations not served directly from Izmir, we offer a fast truck feeder service to Istanbul Airport with same-day connections to over 300 global destinations.
A Message from Our CEO
Our CEO, Kemal Arslan, spoke at the opening ceremony: "The Izmir Operations Center is the first of three regional expansions we have planned for 2025. Our goal is to bring Turkey Air Cargo's full service offering to every major export region in Turkey, so that businesses in Izmir, Bursa, Gaziantep, and beyond can access world-class air freight services without the complexity and cost of routing everything through Istanbul."
The next planned openings are a Bursa Operations Center in Q3 2025 and a Gaziantep Operations Center in Q4 2025, which will serve the important textile and manufacturing export clusters in those regions.
How to Get Started
If your business is based in the Aegean region and you'd like to learn more about how our Izmir Operations Center can serve your air freight needs, our local team is ready to help. Contact us for a free consultation and rate quote — we'll assess your current logistics setup and identify opportunities to reduce costs and transit times.
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