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
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.
Book the Istanbul Guided Tour with Lunch and visit Istanbul’s most famous sights with a professional guide: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace.
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.
| Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport | 62km |
| Burgas Airport (Bulgaria) | 177km |
Which airlines fly from and to Istanbul Airport?
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Turkish Airlines -
Red Wings Airlines -
Pobeda -
Saudia -
British Airways
