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Istanbul has two international airports serving the city. One is located on the European side while the other is on the Asian side.
Istanbul International Airport (IST)
Istanbul International Airport opened on April 6, 2019. It replaced the old Atatürk International Airport in Yeşilköy, and sits near the Black Sea to the northwest of the city. It’s the largest airport in the city and is a hub for Turkish Airlines.
Passengers can reach many destinations throughout the world on direct flights from Istanbul International Airport. When it’s completed in 2027, it will accommodate 200 million passengers a year.
Flying out of the airport is a great experience. There are plenty of shops and restaurants, and the wide open spaces don’t make you feel as cramped as in the old airport. The only problem is that most things, especially food, is VERY expensive, so be prepared for sticker shock.
If you’re flying into or out of this airport, expect lots of walking! It took us quite a while to get from the jetway to passport control, but there are lots of moving walkways along the way. Queues at passport control and security move fairly quickly, which is a huge improvement over the old airport.
Istanbul Airport Museum
If you have some extra time to kill, I can recommend visiting the Istanbul Airport Museum. It’s located in the international departure terminal near the shopping and food courts. Admission for foreigners is €13 (as of July 2024) and it’s open daily from 8:30am to 11pm.
The Istanbul Airport Museum opened on July 17, 2020, and is the largest airport museum in the world. It covers an area of 1,000 square meters and showcases a new exhibition each year.
According to the official website, the aim of each exhibition is to feature an overview of 12,000 years of history, from the “prehistoric, Hittite, Urartu, Phrygian, Lydian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman, and modern Turkish periods.”
Over 300 artifacts are on display, pulled from museums all over Turkey. If you visited those museums during your trip and an artifact is missing, you’ll likely see a card mentioning that the item is currently on display at the Istanbul Airport Museum.
Digital labels in Turkish and English describe each item. They provide the material, location, dating, and loan museum.
Where to Stay Near Istanbul International Airport
If you’re in Istanbul on a layover, there are plenty of options on where to stay near the airport. I’ve personally only had one layover so have limited experience on this.
Istport Garden Hotel
I stayed one night at Isport Garden Hotel in Arnavutköy after meeting a group at the airport. They arrived early in the evening and we had an early morning flight the next day.
The hotel, which opened in 2023, has 28 comfortable and fairly priced rooms. Staff is excellent, and there’s a decent breakfast buffet included in the rate. Best of all, it’s only 15 minutes from the airport. They can arrange paid shuttles if you need transportation.
If you need to grab something to eat, Çağrı Restaurant is next door. They serve traditional Turkish cuisine. You’ll find pide, dürüm, kebabs, lahmacun, soups, salads, and more. The food is good and reasonably priced.
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)
The other airport is Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, which is a hub for Pegasus Airlines. It’s located in Pendik on the Asian side of the city and serves several domestic and international destinations.
I always enjoyed flying out of this airport because it was usually not as crowded and hectic as the old Atatürk Airport. That’s no longer the case, as it already exceeds its capacity of 25 million passengers per year.
Another drawback is the distance from the city center and the time it takes to get there. Expect rides to take well over 90 minutes during peak traffic hours, so give yourself plenty of time before your flight.
Transportation from the Istanbul Airports
You have several options on how to get between both airports and the city.
Airport Shuttles from the Istanbul Airports
To reach the city from Istanbul International Airport, HavaIST runs a very convenient and efficient shuttle service. The most useful route for tourists is most likely between Istanbul Airport and Taksim, which costs 204₺ and takes roughly 80 minutes. You can reach several other points of the city as well, such as Kadıköy (223₺) or Beşiktaş (204₺), and even connect with Sabiha Gökçen Airport (258₺). All fares are current as of April 2024. Check the official website for timetables and more trip fares. You can pay for your ride with cash, credit, or through a QR code.
To get to Taksim Square from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, Havabüs runs a good shuttle service. For trips between Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Taksim, it’s 121₺ and it takes about 90 minutes. It’s also possible to get between Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Kadıköy in an hour for 91₺. The shuttles run roughly every 30 minutes from 4am to 1am, but traffic could seriously affect the travel times. All fares are current as of April 2024.
Metro from the Istanbul Airports
The Istanbul metro system connects the city with both airports. The M11 line runs between Istanbul International Airport and Gayrettepe roughly every 20 minutes. The M4 line runs between Kadıköy and Sabiha Gökçen. You can use an Istanbulkart (the city’s public transportation card) to board. Self-serve kiosks sell them near the entrance to the metro.
Public Buses from the Istanbul Airports
Public buses through İETT connect both airports. They may be cheaper but they are much slower and not as easy to ride with all of your bags. H2 takes you from Mecidiyeköy to Istanbul International Airport. Sabiha Gökçen is served by SG2 from Taksim, SG1 and E-11 from Kadıköy, and E-3 from the 4.Levent Metro. Again, you’ll need an Istanbulkart to board.
Taxis from the Istanbul Airports
Taxi stands are also available if you’re looking for faster, more private transportation. Taxis are metered and there’s no flat fee, so traffic could drive up the cost significantly. Prices are still reasonable either way.
Istanbul International Airport (Permanently Closed)
On April 6, 2019, Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul closed forever to commercial passenger traffic. The airport was replaced by a newer, much bigger airport near the Black Sea coast – Istanbul International Airport. It’s only handling private flights for the time being.
Atatürk International Airport, located on the European side of the city in Yeşilköy, was once the main airport in Istanbul and also the largest. It opened in 1912 as a military airfield and became an international airport in 1953. Its original name was Yeşilköy Airport until it was renamed in honor of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), in the 1980s. Air Transport News named Atatürk International Airport the Airport of the Year in 2013. The same year, Skytrax named it Europe’s best airport in the 40-50 million passenger category.
Atatürk was a hub for Turkish Airlines and could connect travelers to many destinations throughout the world on direct flights. There were two terminals, one for domestic and another for international flights. The final commercial flight, Turkish Airlines Flight 54, left on April 6, 2019, at 2:44am for Singapore. The airport code was IST, but that code was transferred to the new airport and Atatürk was assigned a new code, ISL.
Although in its final years it was among the busiest airports in the world, I always enjoyed flying into and out of Atatürk for two reasons. One was the proximity to the city. Without traffic, it was possible to get to Taksim Square in just over 30 minutes.
The other reason was the approach. There was some beautiful scenery flying over the Marmara Sea on both takeoff and landing, and you could easily see the urban sprawl of the huge metropolis.
Accidents and Incidents
Only two major aviation accidents occurred during the airport’s history. On January 30, 1975, Turkish Airlines Flight 345 from Izmir crashed into the Marmara Sea on its final approach, killing all 42 passengers and crew on board.
On April 25, 2015, Turkish Airlines Flight 1878 from Milan took a hard landing and damaged its landing gear on its first attempt. The second attempt caused the landing gear to break. The plane rolled off the runway and spun 180°, but all on board evacuated without injury.
Finally, the most horrific incident occurred on June 28, 2016. 3 terrorists killed 44 civilians with gunfire and suicide bombings. 239 civilians were injured.
