Journals / Kırklareli Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 15 Sayı: 2

The Role of Regional Airports in Disaster Logistics After the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes: An Analysis of Rescue, Relief and Evacuation Operations

2023 Kahramanmaraş Depremleri Sonrasında Bölgesel Havalimanlarının Afet Lojistiğindeki Rolü: Kurtarma, Yardım ve Tahliye Operasyonlarının Analizi

Hamza Ceylan(KAPADOKYA ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-4242-0217
Pages
184–205
Publication Date
2026-09-27
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The study concludes that disaster-period airport performance should not be evaluated solely through runway availability; apron capacity, ground handling, information sharing, flight prioritisation and coordination with alternative airports are equally decisive.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines the role of regional airports in disaster logistics during the acute response phase following the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes from the perspectives of operational resilience and surge capacity.
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Key Findings & Data:The research adopts a single-event embedded case-study design and analyses publicly available institutional records, humanitarian situation reports and peer-reviewed studies covering 6-26 February 2023 through document analysis and descriptive operational indicators.
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Conclusion & Impact:The study concludes that disaster-period airport performance should not be evaluated solely through runway availability; apron capacity, ground handling, information sharing, flight prioritisation and coordination with alternative airports are equally decisive.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2023 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Afet Lojistiği · Hava Taşımacılığı · Havalimanı Dirençliliği

Abstract

This study examines the role of regional airports in disaster logistics during the acute response phase following the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes from the perspectives of operational resilience and surge capacity. The research adopts a single-event embedded case-study design and analyses publicly available institutional records, humanitarian situation reports and peer-reviewed studies covering 6-26 February 2023 through document analysis and descriptive operational indicators. The case includes the airports of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Adana, Şanlıurfa GAP, Adıyaman, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Hatay and Elazığ. The findings show that 10,971 flight traffic records were handled during the 21-day period, comprising 9,536 domestic and 1,435 international movements; domestic traffic accounted for 86.9% of the total. During the same period, the airport network handled 867,309 passenger/disaster-victim movements, including 335,669 arrivals and 531,640 departures, together with 12,592.4 tonnes of humanitarian relief cargo. Outbound passenger movements reached 1.58 times the inbound flow, representing a 58.4% higher outbound volume; this indicates that the air transport system simultaneously supported inbound personnel and aid flows and large-scale evacuation. Triangulated documentary evidence identifies Adana as the principal temporary gateway for international humanitarian cargo, Hatay as a critical but damage-constrained node that was gradually restored, and the wider regional airport network as a multi-node relief system. The study concludes that disaster-period airport performance should not be evaluated solely through runway availability; apron capacity, ground handling, information sharing, flight prioritisation and coordination with alternative airports are equally decisive.

Özet

6 Şubat 2023 Kahramanmaraş depremlerini izleyen akut müdahale döneminde bölgesel havalimanlarının afet lojistiğindeki rolünü operasyonel dirençlilik ve yığılma kapasitesi perspektifinden incelemektedir. Araştırma, tek olaylı ve gömülü bir durum çalışması olarak tasarlanmış; 6-26 Şubat 2023 dönemine ilişkin kamuya açık kurumsal kayıtlar, insani yardım durum raporları ve hakemli çalışmalar belge analizi ve betimsel gösterge analiziyle değerlendirilmiştir. İnceleme alanı, resmi hava trafiği açıklamasında yer alan Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Adana, Şanlıurfa GAP, Adıyaman, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Hatay ve Elazığ havalimanlarından oluşmaktadır. Bulgular, 21 günlük dönemde 9.536 iç hat ve 1.435 dış hat olmak üzere toplam 10.971 uçuş trafiği gerçekleştiğini; iç hat payının %86,9’a ulaştığını göstermektedir. Aynı dönemde 335.669 gelen ve 531.640 giden olmak üzere toplam 867.309 yolcu/depremzede hareketi ile 12.592,4 ton insani yardım yükü kaydedilmiştir. Giden yolcu akışının gelen akıştan 1,58 kat yüksek olması, hava ulaştırma sisteminin yalnızca yardım ve personel girişini değil, geniş ölçekli tahliye işlevini de eş zamanlı yürüttüğüne işaret etmektedir. Belge üçgenlemesi, Adana’nın uluslararası yardım kargosu için geçici ana giriş noktası hâline geldiğini, Hatay’ın pist hasarı nedeniyle kapasite kaybı yaşayan ancak kademeli olarak yeniden devreye alınan kritik bir düğüm olduğunu ve bölgesel ağın çok merkezli bir yapıya evrildiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, afet dönemlerinde havalimanı performansının yalnızca pist mevcudiyetiyle değil; apron, yer hizmetleri, bilgi paylaşımı, uçuş önceliklendirme ve alternatif meydan koordinasyonuyla birlikte değerlendirilmesi gerektiği sonucuna ulaşmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Ceylan, H. (2026). The Role of Regional Airports in Disaster Logistics After the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes: An Analysis of Rescue, Relief and Evacuation Operations. Kırklareli Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 15 Sayı: 2, 184–205. https://doi.org/10.53306/klujfeas.2006732

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