Examining the Impact of Natural Disasters on Air Transportation: The Example of the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

Authors : Ahmet Ertek

Pages : 439-451

Doi:10.29249/selcuksbmyd.1774803

View : 106 | Download : 189

Publication Date : 2025-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines the impacts of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, on air transportation. Due to their sudden and destructive nature, earthquakes cause serious disruptions to transportation systems; damage to air transportation infrastructure, in particular, directly impacts passenger transportation, logistics activities, and disaster response processes. In this context, the study analyzed passenger, aircraft, and cargo traffic data from airports in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Adana, Şanlıurfa, and Elazığ. The study\\\'s unique contribution is its quantitative analysis of the impact of post-disaster evacuation and relief operations on aviation traffic. The study conducted a comparative analysis of statistics published by the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) for 2022 (pre-earthquake), 2023 (earthquake year), and 2024 (post-earthquake). The findings indicate that Hatay Airport suffered the greatest loss due to infrastructure damage; It reveals that Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman saw an increase in evacuation and relief flights. While Adana emerged as a temporary hub, airports in surrounding provinces served as capacity-building hubs. The results demonstrate that natural disasters have multifaceted impacts on air transportation, and that infrastructure resilience and \\\"disaster flight protocols\\\" are critical in disaster management.
Keywords : Havayolu, Havaalanı, Hava taşımacılığı Deprem, Doğal afet

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL