ISTANBUL AIRPORT (IST)

Istanbul Airport, also known by its International Civil Aviation Organization code of IST, is the primary international airport for the city of Istanbul in Turkey, which is home to more than 15 million people and is an increasingly popular choice for where people spend their vacations.

Istanbul airport is about 33 miles (54 kilometers) from downtown Istanbul, making it a fairly convenient way for visitors from around the globe to visit the city. There are a number of transportation options for getting to and from the airport, including buses, private shuttles, rental cars and taxis, and the right choice will depend on your specific vacation needs. Eventually, the Istanbul Metro – the city’s railway network – will have connections directly to the Istanbul airport. Istanbul airport is known as Istanbul New Airport because construction finished in October 2018, to help cope with increasing air traffic to the city. Before Istanbul New Airport opened, most air traffic passed through Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which opened in 1912 as an airfield and in 1953 as an airport.

Istanbul Atatürk Airport has only one runway, and eventually the Turkish government decided that it was necessary to construct a new and bigger airport. Istanbul New Airport was the result of that decision, and just months after its opening, all passenger flights were transferred from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to the new airport starting in April 2019. This switch made Istanbul New Airport the primary airport for domestic and international flights to and from Istanbul, leaving Istanbul New Airport to mostly handle cargo.

Developers chose a site for constructing the new airport within a site of about 19,000 acres large (or about 7,600 hectares) located near to Lake Terkos in Turkey’s Thrace region. The airport is close to the intersection of some of the main roads leading to Istanbul and locations within the broader Istanbul Province including Arnavutköy, Çatalca and Göktürk.

Istanbul Atatürk Airport for years used to be known by the International Civil Aviation Organization code of IST, but after Istanbul New Airport opened, the code was transferred to the new facility to use, and Istanbul Atatürk Airport now uses the different code of LTBA.

Despite only having been operating for a few years, Istanbul New Airport is already responsible for handling most of the major passenger air traffic for the city. According to data from 2020, that year the airport processed more than 23 million passengers, of which almost 16 million were international passengers, and also handled a total cargo tonnage of 869,289.

Istanbul airport features a single terminal that is used for all of the international and domestic flights that it processes, and it provides a total of four runways for aircraft to use. Two of the runways are about 13,450 feet (or 4,100 meters) long by about 197 feet (or 60 meters) wide, and the other two runaways are about 12,300 feet or (3,750 meters) long by about 147 feet (or 45 meters) wide. All four runway surfaces are covered in asphalt.

Istanbul Airport Information

IATA airport code: IST

ICAO airport code: LTFM

Owner: General Directorate of State Airports (DHMİ)

Operator: IGA (Istanbul Grand Airport) Havalimanı İşletmesi A.Ş.

Serves: Istanbul, Turkey

Hub for

• Turkish Airlines
• Turkish Cargo

Location: Arnavutköy, Istanbul

Istanbul Airport Facilities

Banking: Whether you need to use an ATM, another type of cash machine, or exchange some currency, you will find the services that you need within the airport terminal.

Food and Drink: You can currently choose among more than 150 different options for getting something to eat or drink in the airport, ranging from fast food to fine dining and more.

For Children: Parents traveling with infants or children will be pleased to know the airport has extensive services for families, such as child-friendly security processing, the ability to borrow buggies or strollers for free, private rooms for changing diapers, and priority car park spaces.

Fresh Air: Istanbul airport provides a large non-smoking outdoor area where passengers can step outside of the terminal and enjoy some fresh air before while waiting for their flight.

Medical Aid: Health emergencies can happen at airports, and the terminal features a number of first aid stations, mobile health units, pharmacies, and even a PCR testing facility.

Pets: Istanbul New Airport provides an area where your pet or service animal approved for your flight can use the toilet either before your flight takes off or after it has landed.

Shopping

Istanbul New Airport offers a designated Duty Free shopping area, as well as a large range of other stores selling many different items including clothing, books, and more.

Sleeping Options

If you’re eager to sleep before your departure or after your arrival, you can pay €70 for four hours in a YotelAir room, designed for short naps. Or you can pay €6 for one hour inside an IGA Sleepods to get some rest, but you’ll have to pay €2 more for blankets and pillows.

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Visiting Istanbul

Istanbul’s cultural diversity is a result of the many empires that once ruled the city. One can find traces of European, Middle Eastern, and Asian cultures intertwined in Istanbul. The city is also known for its vibrant arts scene, delicious Mediterranean cuisine, and lively nightlife. From meyhane restaurants to nightclubs, there are many options to experience the city after dark.

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Transportation

Whether you’re visiting Turkey’s largest city of Istanbul for vacation or work, you’ll likely arrive by taking a flight that lands at Istanbul Airport. Once you have landed at the Istanbul airport, gone through passport control and collected your suitcases, you’ll next need to decide how to get to the city center.

Thankfully, Istanbul Airport provides several transportation options for making the journey, and you’ll need assistance because the distance between the terminal and the city is roughly 30 miles (or just under 50 kilometers). You can rent a car, take a taxi or private transfer, get on a bus or ride the subway system known as the Metro, and they all have pros and cons.

For example, taking public transportation like the bus or Metro can be a great way to save money, yet you’ll be sharing the ride with other travelers so baggage space may be limited. But you should be able to find a transportation option that fits within your budget and needs.

Taxi: Transfer to Istanbul city centre within 20 minutes by taxi. From the Istanbul Airport you will definitely want to catch an Istanbul Airport taxi to the City Center. This is a popular and affordable option, although the exact fare will depend on your final destination in the city, because rides are charged based on distance traveled. You won’t to have to share the car with anyone but your traveling companions, and tips are discretionary. A typical ride from the airport to the city will likely take about 40 minutes and cost roughly €20.

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Bus: Public transportation takes you to Istanbul within 45 minutes. From the Istanbul airport you can take a bus operated by own of two companies, although the journey will be longer than in a taxi or a rental car, and you might be dropped off very far from your hotel, and space for luggage could be limited. But this is among the most affordable of the transportation options, with prices ranging from just under €1 to about €4.50.

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Car Hire: The best option to explore Istanbul and its region is by hiring a car at Istanbul Airport. One of the more expensive options, you’ll pay for the entire time you rent a car, but you will have complete privacy and independence about where and when you travel. Plus, you’ve had the additional peace of mind of knowing your luggage is safe in the trunk. The exact cost of this method of transport will depend on the car you choose and how long you rent it.

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Istanbul Airport Metro: Another affordable option for getting from Istanbul Airport to the city is taking the Istanbul Airport Metro subway system. It will take roughly 25 minutes to make the journey to the final stop of Istanbul municipality of Kağıthane, with other station stops along the way. You’ll have to spend just under €3 on a reloadable Metro card and it will cost €0.50 to get from the airport to the last stop.

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Lost and Found

As with most major airports, the terminal includes lost and found facilities in the event that you cannot find your checked baggage after your flight lands, or if you misplace a personal item while within the facility. Items lost on airplanes should be reported to the airline.

Contact

• Phone: +90 4441442
• web: istairport.com
• Adrress: Tayakadın, Terminal Cad No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey

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