Ankara Esenboğa International Airport (IATA: ESB, ICAO: LTAC) is the primary international airport serving Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and the gateway of central Turkey to the world. Located approximately 28 kilometres northeast of Ankara city centre in the Esenboğa area, the airport sits at an elevation of 953 metres and serves as a major hub for Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary AJet.
The airport has been in operation since 1955 and is named after Esenboğa, a commander of Timur’s empire who was stationed in the area during the Battle of Ankara. The current terminal building, which opened in October 2006, was notable as Turkey’s first airport to combine domestic and international operations in a single unified terminal structure. The terminal covers 182,000 square metres, making it the fourth-largest terminal area in Turkey, and is operated by TAV Airports Holding.
In January 2026, a major expansion milestone was reached with the opening of the airport’s third runway and a new air traffic control tower. The airport currently has two parallel runways of 3,750 metres each, with the third runway further enhancing capacity. ESB has received recognition for its service quality, including the ACI ASQ “Best Airport” Award in 2022, and in 2025 was selected as the “Best Regional Airport in Europe” by Skytrax and ranked among the Skytrax World’s Top 100 Airports.