Rize–Artvin Airport

Rize–Artvin Airport Rize–Artvin Havalimanı
IATA: RZV ICAO: LTFO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Rize and Artvin
Location	Yeşilköy, Pazar, Rize, Turkey
Opened	14 May 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-14)
Coordinates	41°10′09″N 40°49′44″E
Map
RZV Location of airport in Turkey
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 3,000 9,800 Asphalt

Rize–Artvin Airport (Turkish: Rize–Artvin Havalimanı) (IATA: RZV, ICAO: LTFO) is an airport off the coast of Rize Province, northeastern Turkey.

Overview

The airport was opened for commercial business on 14 May 2022, with Turkish Airlines, soon followed on the same day with AJet. On 3 July 2022, Pegasus Airlines also began operating to the airport. On 1 July 2023, SalamAir started seasonal operations to Muscat in Oman internationally, making this the airport's first international route.

The airport is situated off the coast of Yeşilköy village in Pazar district of Rize Province.[1][2] It is 34 km (21 mi) east of Rize and about 75 km (47 mi) west of Artvin.[3] It was constructed on ground obtained through filling a part of the Black Sea shore by rocks brought from nearby quarries in Merdivenli, Hisarlı, Kanlımezra and Kuzeyce. To fill up to 30 m (98 ft)-deep sea,[3] at least 85 million tons of rock was required.[1][2][4] The airport building covers an area of 4,500 m^2 (48,000 sq ft), and the runway is 3,000 m (9,800 ft) long at 45 m (148 ft) width parallel to the seashore.[2][5] The construction works began with groundbreaking in 2017. It is the country's second airport of its sort following Ordu–Giresun Airport.[2][3][5][6] It is expected that the airport will serve about two million passengers annually. The construction cost was budgeted to ₺750 million (approx. US$206 million).[5]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Rize–Artvin Airport:

Airlines	Destinations
AJet[7]	Ankara,[8] Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen[9]
Pegasus Airlines	Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen, Izmir
SalamAir	Seasonal: Muscat[10]
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul[11] Seasonal: Gassim,[12] Jeddah, Riyadh[13]

Traffic statistics

Air traffic control tower at the airport, inspired by the traditional Turkish tea glass

Annual passenger traffic at RZV airport. See Wikidata query.

Rize–Artvin Airport passenger traffic statistics[14]

Year (months)	Domestic	% change	International	% change	Total	% change
2023	1,016,627	93%	7,294	580%	1,023,921	94%
2022	525,807	-	1,073	-	526,880	-

References

1. "Rize- Artvin havalimanı için taşocağı açılmasına tepki eylemi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
2. "Rize-Artvin Havalimanı için ilk kazma vuruldu". CNN Türk (in Turkish). 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
3. "Rize-Artvin airport in northeastern Turkey to be built at sea". Daily Sabah. 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
4. "Rize-Artvin Havalimanı Dolgu Çalışmaları". Milliyet (in Turkish). 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
5. "Erdoğan, Rize-Artvin Havalimanı dolgu sahasını inceledi". Sabah (in Turkish). 2017-08-06. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
6. "Groundbreaking for Turkey's second airport on sea to be completed by April: Minister". Hürriyet Daily News. 2017-01-15. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
7. "Fly with Most Affordable and Cheap Ticket Opportunities | AnadoluJet".
8. "AJet NS24 New Flight Number Designations – 12MAR24". Aeroroutes.
9. "AJet NS24 New Flight Number Designations – 12MAR24". Aeroroutes.
10. "SALAMAIR ADDS ALMATY / RIZE IN 3Q23". aeroroutes.com. 28 March 2023.
11. "Turkish Airlines - Investor Relations".
12. "TURKISH AIRLINES ADDS SEASONAL RIZE – GASSIM SERVICE FROM JUNE 2024". aeroroutes.com. 19 June 2024.
13. "Turkish Airlines Expands Rize – Saudi Arabia Network From June 2024". AeroRoutes. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
14. "Statistics".