TY - JOUR T1 - Balancing Airport Development and Environmental Sustainability: A Qualitative Study of Stakeholder Perspectives on Istanbul Airport TT - Havalimanı Gelişimi ve Çevresel Sürdürülebilirlik Dengesi: İstanbul Havalimanı Hakkında Paydaş Görüşlerine Dayalı Nitel Bir Çalışma AU - Öz, Tuncel PY - 2025 DA - September Y2 - 2025 DO - 10.35674/kent.1674031 JF - Kent Akademisi JO - Urban Academy PB - Ahmet FİDAN WT - DergiPark SN - 2146-9229 SP - 2856 EP - 2882 VL - 18 IS - 5 LA - en AB - This study examines the balance between airport development and environmental sustainability at Istanbul Airport, a major global aviation hub facing significant ecological challenges. Using qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with eight experts across airport operations, environmental engineering, regulatory compliance, and sustainability analysis, alongside industry reports and policy documents, this research provides a comprehensive assessment of the airport’s sustainability strategies. Thematic analysis, co-occurrence mapping using NVivo, and sentiment analysis via Python’s TextBlob were employed to identify key concerns, interconnections, and stakeholder sentiments. Findings reveal that deforestation, biodiversity loss, air and noise pollution, and weak regulatory enforcement remain critical sustainability challenges, while renewable energy integration, AI-driven efficiency improvements, and waste management initiatives have shown positive progress. However, economic constraints and policy inconsistencies limit the effectiveness of sustainability measures. This study’s novelty lies in its multi-method approach, integrating expert insights with document analysis to cross-validate findings. The research underscores the need for stronger policy enforcement, stakeholder collaboration, and financial incentives for sustainable aviation fuel to achieve long-term sustainability goals. By aligning with best practices from global airports, Istanbul Airport can enhance its environmental performance while maintaining its strategic growth trajectory. KW - Airport Sustainability KW - Environmental Impact KW - Stakeholder Perspectives KW - Sustainable Aviation KW - Istanbul Airport N2 - Bu çalışma, önemli bir küresel havacılık merkezi olan İstanbul Havalimanı'nda havalimanı gelişimi ile çevresel sürdürülebilirlik arasındaki dengeyi incelemektedir. Havalimanı operasyonları, çevre mühendisliği, düzenleyici uyumluluk ve sürdürülebilirlik analizi alanlarında çalışan sekiz uzmandan alınan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler ile endüstri raporları ve politika belgelerinden elde edilen nitel veriler kullanılarak, havalimanının sürdürülebilirlik stratejileri kapsamlı bir şekilde değerlendirilmiştir. NVivo kullanılarak eş oluşum haritalama analizi, Python’un TextBlob kütüphanesi ile duygu analizi ve tematik analiz yöntemleri uygulanarak temel endişeler, bağlantılar ve paydaş görüşleri belirlenmiştir. Bulgular, orman tahribatı, biyolojik çeşitlilik kaybı, hava ve gürültü kirliliği ile zayıf düzenleyici uygulamaların önemli sürdürülebilirlik zorlukları olarak öne çıktığını, ancak yenilenebilir enerji entegrasyonu, yapay zeka destekli verimlilik iyileştirmeleri ve atık yönetimi girişimlerinin olumlu ilerleme kaydettiğini göstermektedir. 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