The tender for the third airport to be built in Istanbul has received applications from 16 firms that have paid 100,000 Turkish Liras to obtain the specifications. The new airport has already earned 1.6 million liras in total before the tender, which is set for May 3.
The General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMİ) said the sale of the specifications began Jan. 28, but the participants, which include both local and foreign firms, would not be made public until the tender date.
Leading firms such as Sabancı Holding, TAV, Alarko Holding, Varyap, Limak and Doğuş Holding have previously declared their interest in the tender. However some firms are seeking partners to participate in the tender as a joint venture.
The new airport needed to be completed as soon as possible due to high occupancy at Atatürk Airport, said DHMİ General Manager Orhan Birdal during a television broadcast on Feb. 11. “Atatürk Airport has 130 million passengers in total per year,” he said. 
The third airport’s passenger capacity is planned to gradually reach 150 million passengers, and its first phase is set to be completed by 2017, Hurriyet Daily reports.