Massive transfer to new Istanbul airport nears completion

The first flight from Istanbul's centrepiece newairport after the massive transfer of aviation equipment from theprevious passenger hub, is scheduled to take off on Saturday."Our transport has been largely completed. Closed highways arereopened for traffic," national flag carrier Turkish Airlines CEOBilal Eksi tweeted on Saturday.  The new Istanbul Airport is to replace the overcrowded AtaturkInternational Airport, opened in 1933, some 40 kilometres to thesouth. Ataturk will remain open for cargo operations. Both hubs are currently closed to general air traffic. TurkishAirlines is scheduled to make the first flight since the transfer, tothe capital Ankara, at 2 pm (1100 GMT). International carriers planto start flights from the new airport by midnight Saturday.Hundreds of trucks have been carrying aviation equipment to the newairport from Ataturk since early Friday. Three main highways weretemporarily closed to traffic late on Friday.On the Asian side of Istanbul, a second international hub, the SabihaGokcen Airport remains operational.