Istanbul Airport
General information
Istanbul Airport is one of the most modern and largest airports in the world, situated northwest of the city in the district of Arnavutköy. The airport was officially opened by the Turkish president Erdogan on 29 October 2018, the national day in Turkey. In the weekend of 6 April 2019 it replaced Istanbul Atatürk Airport as the primary passenger airport serving Istanbul.
Today, the airport can handle 90 million passengers per year. In the future, Istanbul Airport will be able to handle 200 million passengers per year. The national flag carrier Turkish Airlines is responsible for 80% of the total number of flights at Istanbul Airport.
Istanbul Airport is located on the European side of Istanbul, the second airport of the city Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport is located on the Asian side.
Book a taxi from Istanbul Airport to your hotel.
Thanks to the Istanbul Airport reviews on our website AirMundo.com we were able to make a list of the pros and cons of Istanbul Airport:
Pros / Advantages Istanbul Airport
- Impressive terminal (modern architecture)
- Everything feels new
- Inexpensive metro and buses to the city centre
- You feel very safe
Cons / Disadvantages Istanbul Airport
- Not enough seats for those waiting
- Not enough nearby airport hotels
- Taxiing from runway to the terminal takes too long
- Very long distances to walk inside terminal building, chance of missing connecting flight
Location
Where is Istanbul Airport situated?
Istanbul’s biggest airport is located northwest of the city. The roads O-7 and D020 are a short distance from the airport, making it easy to reach the airport by car.
How many terminals does Istanbul Airport have?
Istanbul Airport has one very large and modern terminal, consisting of a Departure Level (Giden yolcu katı) and an Arrival Level (Gelen yolcu katı). The Departures hall of Istanbul Airport is accessible through seven entrance doors, 1 and 2 for domestic flights (İç Hatlar), 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 for international flights (Dış Hatlar). If you fly with Turkish Airlines you should take entrance 3, 4 or 5. The check-in desks of all other international carriers are the easiest to reach via doors 6 and 7.
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Airport Map
Nearby airports
A good alternative for flying to or from Istanbul Airport are the following airports, sorted by distance from the airport. You can also take a look at the complete list of airports in Turkey.
| Airport | Distance |
|---|---|
| Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport | 62km |
| Burgas Airport (Bulgaria) | 177km |
Transportation
Car
The distance from Istanbul Airport to the centre of Istanbul is 50 kilometres. By car, it takes 60 minutes to get to the centre of Istanbul.
From IST Airport to Istanbul City centre by Car
Public transport
It is possible to travel to and from Istanbul Airport by public transport. Visit the Istanbul Airport transportation page for the possibilities.
Taxi transfer
A taxi is the quickest and most comfortable way to get to and from Istanbul Airport. The price for a taxi ride from the airport to the centre of Istanbul is about TRY 500.-. Book your taxi at Istanbul Airport and discover the comfort of pre-booked taxis.
From IST Airport to Istanbul City centre by Taxi
Car rental
At Istanbul Airport you can rent a car from car rental companies Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt and local providers. It is most convenient to find and book a car well in advance. By doing so, you can save money and time at the airport.
Airport parking
Istanbul Airport offers various official parking options, from premium to low cost. In addition, alternative parking options are available near the airport. If you want to park as cheaply as possible, it's wise to book online!
At the airport
Do you want more information about facilities, currency exchange, services, free Wi-Fi, lounges, etc. at Istanbul Airport? Check our at the airport page for a complete overview of all facilities and services at Istanbul Airport.
Flights
Departures and arrivals
Looking for departure times and/or arrival times? Find the latest flight status information for flights departing from and arriving at Istanbul Airport.
Flight tickets
Looking for a cheap flight? Use our flight search engine to find and book cheap flights from and to the airport.
Which airlines fly from and to Istanbul Airport?
We offer you a list of airlines at Istanbul Airport. The main airlines at the airport are:
- Turkish Airlines
- Red Wings Airlines
- Pobeda
- Saudia
- British Airways
Accommodations
Hotels near the airport
Looking for the best hotels near Istanbul Airport? We have selected the best hotels near the airport in different price ranges. Take a look at our accommodations page for more information.
YOTELAIR Istanbul Airport, Duty free - International Transit area, Istanbul
Located in the transit Duty Free area at the Istanbul Airport main terminal departures floor, YOTELAIR Istanbul Airport, Duty free - International Transit area accommodates guests with international flight connections.
Hotels in Istanbul
Looking for the best hotels in Istanbul? We have selected the best hotels in the city in different price ranges. Take a look at our accommodations page for more information.
Things to do
It is possible to book tickets, activities and tours in the city and near Istanbul Airport. You can avoid queues and save money by buying your tickets online. Planning a trip and wondering what to do, we give you some inspiration!
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Istanbul: Dinner Cruise & Entertainment with Private Table
Cruise between 2 continents as you dine on Turkish meze on a 3-hour Bosphorus cruise of Istanbul. Marvel at monuments from the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and enjoy a full program of entertainment, such as folk and belly dancing.
Istanbul: 1 or 2-Day Private Guided Tour with Hotel Transfer
Discover the magic of Istanbul on a private 1 or 2-day walking tour. Enjoy a river cruise and guided tour of the city highlights, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Dolmabahce Palace, and Istiklal Street.
Reviews
Have you visited Istanbul Airport lately? So far, 115 airport passengers have written an airport review about Istanbul Airport. This airport has an average score of 1 out of 5. Provide other airport travellers with essential airport information and tell us about your airport experience.
Latest airport reviews
I have been many times through IST. I cannot walk long distances with 10kg carry on and a laptop and IST is inhumanly huge. I need only an electric buggy to take me from arrival gate to immigration, not a wheelchair. Yet, there are no airport provided services to meet and assist, according to IST airport, other than 240+ Euros per person for private VIP service providers that include lounge access, and many other things I do not need. How could an airport get a Gold Rating which is not accessible to slightly disabled people? I didn't even know it was legal. Any trip through this airport is unbearable. Hope you do not need to eat or drink anything - you will need a bank loan. The staff are rude, especially the initial security screening. Turkish Air says ecigs can be brought on board - so but the security staff confiscated all I had with me for my trip. Hope they enjoyed them. The help chat is completely useless. The WiFi has been commented on here so I won't go into that. Read other reviews - its horrifying and shameful that the Turkish government could build such a useless and expensive facility. And to think Skytrax gave them a gold rating - I wonder what they charged for the Gold Award. So much for their credibility. I can't avoid going through the ghastly place but if you can, even if the airfare is a bit higher avoid at all costs.
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express my grave concerns about the treatment I have received at Istanbul Airport by the Turkish authorities.
I arrived at the airport on [date] after a long journey and expected to be welcomed as a guest in your country; instead, I was treated as if nothing mattered and was made to feel unwelcome. The airport staff were unhelpful, rude and showed very little compassion for my situation. From the start of my arrival, I was harassed and hounded by airport staff and had to constantly deal with rude and aggressive behaviour.
I aim to further highlight the lack of professionalism and respect that I encountered at arrivals. At no point was I directed to the correct gate for check-in and had to navigate my way through the airport on my own, eventually missing my connecting flight to [destination] due the lack of support. The airport staff’s lack of information and care made me feel embarrassed and helpless during my entire stay at the airport.
I request that you take the necessary steps to ensure that no other traveller has to receive the same treatment and that guests of your country are provided with adequate service and respect.
I look forward to hearing how you plan to address this issue.
Khaled Ali Wershffani
Worst ever flight experience. I had a transfer flight to Istanbul airport a couple of days ago. The cabin crew was rude during the first flight from my home country to Istanbul. After a couple of arrogant and sarcastic comments and mimics, I thought I was overreacting or just imagining things (as I've never met a cabin crew like that), but later when it was dinner time the same cabin crew skipped me and never gave me my meal. After landing in Istanbul I got a message that my flight was delayed for 4 hours. There was no internet at the airport, you can only get 1 hour of wifi free or must buy it. None of us was informed why the flight got delayed, the information desk stayed empty all the time I was there, and we didn't receive any free meals/drinks/ free telephone calls, fax etc. that we were supposed to get according to the Turkish Airlines customer's rights. We were informed about the number of gates one hour and a half before the flight and the gates were super far. Hopefully, I don't have to ever go back to this airport or buy this airlines tickets.