Fact Check: This Airport Is Not In Uttar Pradesh, It's Istanbul In Türkiye
An image circulating on social media claiming to be from UP is actually Istanbul Airport in Turkey. UP currently has over 14 operational airports, with others in development, but does not yet have 21.
The Verdict [Misleading]
The image shows Türkiye's Istanbul Airport, not Uttar Pradesh, India. The misleading claim spread after CM Adityanath announced plans for 21 airports.
What is the claim?
An image showing an airport runway with multiple airplanes is circulating on social media with the claim that it is from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The overlaid Hindi text translates to: “Uttar Pradesh created history, becoming the first state in India to have 21 airports.”
A post on X by Jitendra Pratap Singh, a user known for spreading misinformation, shared the viral image with a caption repeating the overlaid text. Archived versions of similar posts on X can be viewed here, here, here, and here.
The image is also being circulated on Instagram with similar claims. Archived links to those posts can be found here, here, and here.
The claim follows a recent statement by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who said the state will soon have 21 airports.
However, we found that the image does not show an airport in Uttar Pradesh but rather Istanbul Airport in Türkiye.
What did we find?
A reverse image search of the viral picture led to a report published by the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet Daily News on April 6, 2020. The report featured an airport runway image similar to the one in the viral post and detailed the launch of a new runway at iGA Istanbul Airport in Türkiye.
The iGA Istanbul Airport website also features a similar image of the same runway.
Further verification through the airport’s official social media accounts led us to an X post (archived here) linking to a travel website article published in November 2024. The post featured the same image seen in the viral claim with the caption: “iGA Istanbul Airport has been chosen for the title of World’s Best International Airport Hub! With its modern design, advanced tech, seamless experience, and focus on sustainability, it’s the world’s most connected airport.”
This evidence confirms that the image is from Istanbul Airport in Türkiye, not an airport in Uttar Pradesh.
Additionally, while Adityanath stated that the state will “soon” have 21 airports, the claim that it already has that many is misleading.
Uttar Pradesh currently has over 14 operational airports, while others are under construction or in the proposal stage.
The verdict
An image of Istanbul Airport in Türkiye has been falsely shared to claim it shows an airport in Uttar Pradesh, India.
[This story was originally published by Logically Facts, as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline/excerpt/opening introduction para this story has not been edited by ABP LIVE staff.]
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