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 46 kilometres. By car, it takes 50 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 650.-. 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: 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, 143 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
The worse airport! Everything inside airport is so expensive. 180ml can of coke cost 160 lira which is 5x than the normal price. The airlines staff is rude and have no education about customer service. The airport is massive but in inconvenient way. Even the airport in europe not as expensive as theirs. Truly bad experience, never come back again!
I came through IST twice in December 2023. My main complaint is the exorbitant price of simple take away food. For example at Popeyes, 2 pieces of chicken and chips and drink is close to 500 lira per person!! I found Turkish Airline staff to be polite but don’t expect any special favours. Our group of 11 which included children had a 15 hour layover on the 2nd trip but Turkish Airline only give complementary hotel accomodation for 20 hours and more layover.
It’s the worst and most expensive airport I have ever been. 3x more expensive then Dubai and JFK airport ! Unbelievable a Big Mac from McDonald cost me 15$ just the burger with nothing !! Ridiculous! It’s even prettier than any other airport! The only positive thing is that they have lot of smoking areas. But that’s the only positive thing !