Landside kiosks just before security: Turkish mobile providers



View of magnificent outdoor landscaping!



Ara Güter photo exhibition; famous Turkish photographer died in October aged 90



Airside photo exhibit



Airside food/beverage kiosk



Airside shops



An empty passage!



The dazzling G gates



Much excitement airside



Finally, a place to have lunch!

Just before security you'll find each of the three major Turkish telecom companies in small kiosks: Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone. We were unable to visit the arrivals hall but assume they do or will have shops there as well.

At present there are four daily flights, three domestic and one international. We could not view the area where the sole international flight departs (Baku service pending) and we could only visit the G gates area where our Antalya-bound flight departs. We note two cafes already opened and one opening soon, and just a handful of shops already doing business. One shop sells tennis shoes. This somehow is understandable, given that not much is happening here for two more months and paying employees to essentially do nothing most of the day costs money.

There appears not to be a single luggage trolley in the airport. Maybe these are forthcoming, or as my lady travel companion suggested they'll just bring these over from IST on New Year's Eve.

Then we set off to find the Turkish Airlines lounge, for which apparently no signage exists. Walking through the long long G gates area we passed two play areas for children; we found the prayer rooms; we saw a future smoking area (at least that's what we think it is, no signage); and a sad little terrace. And then finally an elevator to the lounge! The elevator has no control panel and appears not to have been installed. So if there is actually a lounge on the upper level we could not access it.

The G gates are mostly finished; there is exposed wiring here and there; a missing floorplate here and poorly-trimmed carpeting there. Dusty footprints abound. It's literally a ghost town when you step away from the departure gate. Which was wonderful! We loved this experience of visiting the new largest airport in the world with literally nobody in it. Well, they've got two months to get this place in order. But compared with other new and newish major international airports this place is quite underwhelming. It's a semi-functional airport but shopping and services you'd find in mega-airports even when completed will be underwhelming. Though perhaps the international terminal(s) will be more impressive.