Dr. Fatih ÇAKMAK

Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General, DHMI

Born in 1978, Dr. Fatih ÇAKMAK graduated from Trabzon Central Imam Hatip High School in 1995, following his primary and secondary education.

He received his bachelor's degree from the Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Istanbul University, in 2000. In 2011, he completed his master's degree in Construction and Transportation Management in Urban Systems at the Institute of Science and Technology, Bahçeşehir University, earning the title of Senior Civil Engineer.

In 2018, he successfully completed training programs in Japan on engineering software such as MicroStation, AutoCAD, and NetCAD, as well as the Disaster and Crisis Management Expertise programs conducted in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

He completed his PhD in Business Administration at Haliç University, Istanbul, with his doctoral dissertation entitled “A Model Study for the Development of Civil Aviation and the Establishment of a Logistics Hub, with a Particular Focus on Sabiha Gökçen Airport," earning the title of Doctor.

Dr. ÇAKMAK began his professional career in 1999 at the General Directorate of Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration İSKİ, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, as a Control, Quantity Surveying and Field Engineer. Between 2004 and 2009, he served as a Control Engineer and Supervisor, undertaking major projects, particularly in the field of trenchless technology applications.

In 2009, he joined Beyoğlu Municipality in Istanbul as Technical Coordinator. He subsequently served as Director of Technical Affairs and, from 2014 to 2021, as Deputy Mayor responsible for Technical Affairs.

With the approval of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, he was appointed Deputy Director General and Member of the Board of Directors of the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) on 2 July 2021.

During his tenure in senior management at DHMI, which began in 2021, he headed various delegations on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure for numerous international projects carried out in countries including Afghanistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Following his appointment to DHMI, he also served for two terms, between 2022 and 2024, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airport Management and Aviation Industries Inc. (HEAŞ), under the Presidency of Defence Industries.

During his tenure as Chairman of the Board of Directors of HEAŞ, the Airport Authority of Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, he led significant projects concerning capacity enhancement, including the opening of the second runway, as well as various aviation operations and airport management activities.

Pursuant to the Presidential Decree dated 30 August 2026, Dr. Fatih ÇAKMAK was appointed Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI).

Dr. Fatih ÇAKMAK is married and has two children. He has a good command of English and Arabic.

He has also served as a senior executive in various non-governmental organizations. He is a national Wushu athlete. Following his active sporting career, he undertook administrative roles in sports federations and sports associations, including serving as an international Wushu referee and coach. He currently continues to support educational activities as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Beyoğlu Education and Culture Foundation.