Memorandum of Understanding provides framework for strategic cooperation.
Focus on best practices, digitalization and innovation.
Partnership builds on close ties between Cologne and Istanbul.
International cooperation on a new level: Cologne Bonn Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport are now officially “sister airports”. Today, Wednesday, September 30, representatives of both airports signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Istanbul, formalizing their new strategic partnership through this declaration of intent. The agreement was concluded as part of a delegation trip to Turkey led by Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia. With the MoU, the two airports are establishing a framework for the continuous exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices.
The cooperation involves Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH on the German side, as well as HEAŞ and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport Investment Development and Operation Inc. (ISG) on the Turkish side. At Sabiha Gökçen Airport, HEAŞ, an affiliate of the Turkish Defence Industry Agency, operates as the Airport Authority overseeing airside infrastructure, runway and apron operations, navigational aids, ARFF services, and overall airfield safety, while ISG manages terminal operations and commercial facilities.
“The Memorandum of Understanding is a milestone for Cologne Bonn Airport – going far beyond the cooperation between two airports: It builds a bridge between Germany and Türkiye, between Cologne and its partner city Istanbul, and opens up new opportunities for international and intercultural exchange,” says Cenk Özöztürk, Managing Director of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH, who signed the MoU in Istanbul. “Our aim is to bring this partnership to life – through open dialogue, targeted knowledge sharing and a clear commitment to gaining new perspectives. That is precisely where the value of such a partnership lies: learning from one another, sharing experiences and strengthening intercultural competence. That is exactly what our partnership with Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen stands for.”
“As the airport authority of one of Europe’s leading hubs, we attach great importance to elevating our operational expertise through international partnerships. This ‘sister airports‘ agreement with Cologne Bonn Airport will drive invaluable knowledge-sharing across apron operations, airport safety, digitalization, and sustainability“, says Faruk Kacır, General Manager of HEAŞ.
“Cologne is home to over 90,000 residents of Turkish origin, driving steady passenger demand between Cologne/Bonn and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. This agreement reinforces the deep-rooted aviation connection between Türkiye and Germany while driving new connectivity and commercial opportunities across the aviation sector”, says Hanita Ahmad, Executive Director of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (ISG).
Sharing best practices and gaining new impulses together
The MoU focuses on promoting regular exchange between the partners. The aim is to share experience and best practices from different areas of airport operations, learn from one another and jointly develop new approaches. Staff secondments and work placements are also planned to provide insights into the respective airport’s processes and working methods and to strengthen personal exchange between employees.
The cooperation covers areas ranging from optimizing travel comfort and the quality of the passenger experience to terminal and flight operations processes, digitalization and new technologies, as well as safety and sustainability. Commercial topics, the development of new air services and infrastructure-related issues are also part of the agreed exchange. By signing the MoU, the airports are establishing a long-term professional partnership that will be gradually expanded through concrete projects and joint activities.
Close ties between Cologne and Istanbul
The partnership between the two airports builds on the already close ties between Cologne and Istanbul. The two cities have been officially twinned since March 15, 1997, and will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their city partnership next year. Today, more than 90,000 people with a Turkish family background live in Cologne, while around one million people with a Turkish family background live in North Rhine-Westphalia. The newly established cooperation between the airports extends these existing ties to the operational level and creates an additional platform for exchange between the two metropolitan regions.
Another foundation for the partnership is the existing strong air connectivity between the two cities: Up to seven daily flights and around 40 connections per week link Cologne/Bonn directly with Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. Turkey is a key destination market for Cologne/Bonn, with around 20 direct destinations. For the full year 2026, the airport expects around 2.6 million passengers to travel to Türkiye. Conversely, Germany is the most important international market for Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. Looking at the nationality distribution of incoming international passengers in the first half of 2026, German nationals ranked first among foreign visitors (excluding Turkish citizens). This data highlights once again the strong and deep-rooted aviation ties between Türkiye and Germany.
