Key airport information may also be found at: http://worldaerodata.com/ 

Supervising authority: The Civil Aviation Authority of Türkiye (SHGM) is the government agency responsible for the supervision of civil aviation in Türkiye. SHGM is responsible for the licensing of airlines, airports, and other aviation-related businesses; the regulation of air traffic; and the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. 

Private managing companies: There are a number of private companies that manage airports in Türkiye, including TAV Airports Holding, Celebi Aviation and IGA. These companies are responsible for the day-to-day operations of airports, such as passenger and baggage handling, ground handling, and catering. 

Overall national capacity: Türkiye has a relatively large aviation sector, with 55 airports in operation, a total of 181 million passengers carried, 1,678,249 tonnes of cargo transported and 1,488,626 aircraft movements in 2022. The country's largest airport is Istanbul Airport, which opened in 2018 and is now the busiest airport in Europe.  

Significant constraints: Some of the significant constraints on the Turkish aviation sector include: 

• Airspace congestion: Türkiye's airspace is one of the busiest in the world, and this can lead to congestion and delays. 

• Security concerns: Türkiye has been the target of a number of terrorist attacks in recent years, and this has led to increased security measures at airports, which can slow down the flow of passengers. 

Planned enhancements and investments: The Turkish government has plans to invest heavily in the aviation sector in the coming years. These investments are aimed at improving the country's airspace infrastructure, expanding its airport capacity, and increasing its security measures. The government is also planning to privatize a number of state-owned airports. 

As of 2022, there are 55 active airports open to civil aviation in the country. The top 10 airports with (filtered as per cargo traffic) are shown on below table: 

For more information on government agency and airport company contact information, please see the following links:  4.1 Government Contact List and 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List

Procedures for Foreign-Registered Aircraft 

In respect of the establishment of any real rights on any movables or immovables, the record required to be entered to the log of the relevant movables or immovables is called "registration", and the act of performing such recording process is called "to register", and the log where such records are retained is called as "registry". The real rights may be defined as the rights that grant their holders a direct control on the movables or immovables and that can be asserted to anyone. 

Any aircraft is required to be registered to the registry of the civil aviation authority of the relevant country in order to enable the same achieves a national status in the respective country. Also, any natural or legal persons are required to be registered in the registry so that such persons have real right, and that any third persons make a disposition of such right. This paragraph also outlines that why a registration is required to be created. 

The above-mentioned term "movables or immovables" refers to the civil aircraft in respect of the Registry Office. In other words, the procedures are being performed only in respect of the registration of any and all civil aircraft at the Registry Office. However; the procedures for registration of any civil aircraft embraces a wide range of registration types regarding aircraft. Such registrations range from identity details to technical details or flight details regarding the aircraft. However, the registration type, falling under the scope of the Registry Office, is the registration, which may be called as the identity details of the aircraft. 

https://web.shgm.gov.tr/en/aircraft/2205-registration-procedures   

The registry office under the SHGM is responsible for the process of registration of a foreign aircraft in Türkiye.  

The following steps are to be followed: 

Step 1: 

Make a reservation for a Turkish registration mark. You can do this by submitting an application to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA/ SHGM) of Türkiye. The application form can be found on the SHGM website. 

The reservation of registration mark is required to be performed in order for the registration mark to be granted to the aircraft. The Reservation of the Registration Mark is performed in order to identify the registration nationality and registration mark of the aircraft before it is registered to the Turkish Civil Aircraft Registry.  

The process of pre-determination of the registration mark to be used by any aircraft, which is planned to be brought to our country, and reporting of the same to our Directorate General by the owner of the aircraft, and of reservation of the respective registration mark for the applicant, is called as registration reservation. 
 
The operators, who hold an air operator's certificate, must satisfy the requirements prescribed by the circular letter on "addition of aircraft to the fleet", and must obtain the letter of permit, which has been issued by the Operations Branch, prior to the performance of the process of registration reservation, in order to add any new aircraft to their fleets. All aircraft are required to bear the flag of the country, where it is registered, and the registration mark thereof in accordance with ICAO Annex-7. Each aircraft has its own registration mark, and a registration mark may not be used by more than one aircraft concurrently. A registration mark is used for once only; accordingly, any registration mark is not used for any other aircraft.  

Therefore, the registration mark to be used by any aircraft, which will be brought to our country, is required to be reserved at the first stages of the planning process in order to determine that whether the relevant registration mark is appropriate, or not, and to keep such mark until the relevant aircraft arrives in the country. 

The registration mark must be selected based on the aircraft categories, among the triple combinations, starting with: 

• the letter "U" for Ultralight/Microlight,  

• the letter "B" for Balloon,  

• the letter "H" for Helicopter,  

• the letter "Z" for Agricultural purposes,  

• the letter "P" for Glider,  

 
to be indicated following the national mark. Any letters other than the letters, allocated for the aircraft specified, must be used for general aircraft categories. The registration mark for the unmanned aerial vehicles starts with the letter "I", and continue with the sequential figures. 
 
Details and Documents Required For Reservation 

• The petition signed by the the owner of the aircraft or by the person, to whom the notarized power of attorney is granted  

• Reservation Application Form  

• Trade Registry Gazette showing the trade name, capital and shareholding structure of the legal persons 

• List of Authorized Signatories (Natural Persons; The Notarized Signature Declaration - Legal Persons; The Notarized List of Authorized Signatories) 

• Trade Registry Gazette showing the trade name, capital and shareholding structure of the lessee of the aircraft provided by the Leasing Companies Situated in Türkiye 

• The notarized copy of identity card of the natural persons  

• The letter stating the approval of "addition of aircraft to the fleet" for the airline companies 

• Service Fee published in the Service Tariff (see www.shgm.gov.tr) 

• Letter of Undertaking (In the event that the owner of the aircraft is situated abroad, and that it will be procured through Leasing or Rental, no Letter of Undertaking is required.) 

NOTE- If the aircraft is currently registered in another country, you will need to obtain a deletion certificate from the relevant aviation authority in that country. 

Step 2: Obtain an application form from the Civil Aviation Authority of Türkiye (SHGM) 

The SHGM is the government agency responsible for the registration of foreign aircraft in Türkiye. The application form can be obtained from the SHGM website or from any of the SHGM offices located throughout the country. 

Complete the application form 

Issuance of Certificate of Registration for Aircraft to be Initially Registered to the Turkish Civil Aircraft Registry  

The act of registering any aircraft, which is planned to be imported either temporarily or conclusively from abroad, to the Turkish Civil Aircraft Registry.  

Consideration points in applying for registration in the registry 
 
Issuance of Certificate of Registration for Aircraft to be Initially Registered to the Turkish Civil Aircraft Registry  

The act of registering any aircraft, which is planned to be imported either temporarily or conclusively from abroad, to the Turkish Civil Aircraft Registry. 

Consideration points in applying for registration in the registry 
 

In the event that the acquisition is performed through purchasing method, then; 

• The original copy of the agreement, 

• The original copy of the bill of sale, 

• A copy of the receipt of stamp duty arising from the agreement, 

• The notarized translation of the agreement and bill of sale, in case the same have been drawn up in any language other than Turkish, 

• The original copies of the lists of authorized signatories of the parties, executing the agreement, 

• Delivery of the original copies of the Certificate of Authorization bearing the Apostille thereon, stating that parties executing the agreement are authorized, to our Directorate General, prior to sending the letter of "technical conformity regarding importation",  

In the event that the acquisition is performed through rental method, then; 

• The original copy of the rental agreement, 

• The notarized translation of the agreement into Turkish, in case the same has been drawn up in any language other than Turkish, 

• The original copies of the lists of authorized signatories of the parties executing the agreement, and the Certificates of Authorization bearing the Apostille thereon, 

In the event that the acquisition is performed through leasing method, then; 

• The lease agreement approved by FIDER, as well as the following documents are required to be sent completely to our Directorate General with a cover letter. 

• The petition signed by the owner of the aircraft or by the person, to whom notarized power of attorney is granted 

• Registration Application Form 

• The original copy of the letter of conclusive aircraft importation sent by the Customs Offices by addressing our Directorate General 

• Bill of Entry of the relevant aircraft 

• Certificate of de-registration 

• Certificate of export 

• The copy of the letter of conformity for importation of the aircraft 

• The relevant page of the flight manual, on which maximum take-off weight is specified   

• "Sales Agreement" and “Bill of Sale” 

• The original copy of the lease agreement executed by and between the Leasing Companies Situated in Türkiye and the lessee thereof 

• The front-view and side-view photographs of the aircraft, in a manner that registration mark and flag are visible on the aircraft.  (see ANNEX-7) 

• The copy of the Certificate of Airworthiness 

• Service Fee published in the Service Tariff (see Charges Tariff of the DGCA) 

Key agencies and roles and responsibilities 

The key agencies involved in the registration of foreign aircraft in Türkiye are the SHGM and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The SHGM is responsible for the administration of the registration process, while the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure is responsible for the issuance of the registration certificate. 

Process timeline 

The process for the registration of a foreign aircraft in Türkiye typically takes 3-6 months. The timeline may be longer if the SHGM requests additional information or documentation. 

Conclusion 

The registration of foreign aircraft in Türkiye is a complex process, similar to most countries with a developed civil aviation sector, which requires careful planning and documentation. The owner or operator of a foreign aircraft should contact the SHGM for more information on the registration process. 

https://web.shgm.gov.tr/en/formlar/3910-index