The VIP terminal at Istanbul Airport is changing Russian passengers' transit choices

The JETEX-IGA private terminal, which was put into service at Istanbul Airport on May 5, 2026, served approximately 3,600 passengers in the first four months after its opening. According to the source, the terminal has mainly attracted the interest of high-income passengers coming from Russia and CIS countries and is influencing their transit choices.

The terminal's services include transporting passengers to the aircraft by private car, individual passport and security procedures, SPA, separate suites, and restaurant services.

This shows the direction in which competition for transit passengers is heading: while there is a price race among airlines, airports are investing in service quality and building a separate passage to retain passengers. The flow of passengers from Russia and the CIS is considered a sensitive group in this segment, because their route choices can change quickly.

For Azerbaijan, this trend is indirectly relevant: the transit flow passing through the country and whether there are separate service packages for high-income guests arriving at Baku airport will be decisive in this competition. For hotels and guesthouses, however, the message is simple — the transit guest does not stay long, but the level of service determines which route he will choose next time.