Istanbul International Airport
Istanbul's new airport opened in 2018 and here you'll find a guide with all the useful information and connections to the city centre.
Turkey is one of the most accessible destinations from Europe thanks to a comprehensive, modern network of airports extending from Istanbul to the Mediterranean coast. With over a dozen international airports distributed across the country, it offers European travellers direct connections to major cities and the most popular tourist areas, from the Aegean Sea to Cappadocia. Turkish Airlines, the national carrier, flies from dozens of European cities to Istanbul’s international airport, whilst numerous budget airlines serve coastal airports directly, making flights to Turkey increasingly accessible and affordable.
Turkey’s geographical position makes it close to Europe in terms of flight time. The exponential growth of tourism has driven significant infrastructure investments in recent years: the new Istanbul International Airport, opened in 2018 and already Europe’s largest by surface area, has become one of the world’s most important aviation hubs with a current capacity of 150 million passengers annually.
In this guide you’ll find all the information you need to navigate Turkey’s main airports, understand which airport to choose based on your destination, and how to reach the city centre from the main arrival cities.
The Istanbul International Airport (IATA code: IST) is Turkey’s main airport and one of Europe’s largest. Inaugurated on 29 October 2018 in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of Istanbul province, it replaced the old Atatürk airport as the main hub. The facility spans 76.5 million square metres and is designed to reach a full capacity of 200 million passengers per year – a world record. The airport is located approximately 50 km from Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district and around 40 km from Taksim Square on the European side of the city.
The airport is Turkish Airlines’ main hub, operating flights from here to over 350 destinations worldwide, including dozens of European cities with daily frequencies. In addition to Turkish Airlines, numerous European carriers operate here such as Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, KLM and major budget airlines.
The Sabiha Gökçen Airport (IATA code: SAW) is Istanbul’s second airport, located on the Asian side of the city approximately 40-50 km from Sultanahmet’s historic centre. Named after Turkey’s first female combat pilot, the airport is the main hub for Pegasus Airlines, Turkey’s largest budget carrier, and is served by numerous other European low-cost airlines such as Wizz Air and Ryanair, which use it as an economical gateway to Istanbul. If you’re looking for cheap flights to Istanbul, you should always compare fares across both airports.
It’s important to note that Istanbul’s two airports are on opposite sides of the Bosphorus and approximately 80 km apart: transferring between them takes at least 70-100 minutes. If your itinerary includes an outbound flight from one airport and a return flight from the other, carefully check transfer times between the two airports.
The Antalya International Airport (IATA code: AYT) is Turkey’s third busiest airport and Europe’s fifteenth by passenger volume. Located approximately 13-15 km north-east of the city centre, it’s the main gateway to the Turkish Riviera and welcomes millions of European tourists annually heading to Antalya, Alanya, Side, Belek and all the Mediterranean coastal resorts. The airport has two separate international terminals and a domestic terminal: 70% of passengers are foreign, making it a genuinely international airport.
During the summer season, from May to October, Antalya is connected directly to dozens of European airports thanks to charter flights from tour operators and scheduled services from major budget airlines. Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet and many other European carriers operate direct flights from numerous cities. All-inclusive package tourists will typically find a shuttle bus organised by the tour operator waiting at the airport on arrival.
The Dalaman Airport (IATA code: DLM) is the main airport for Turkey’s south-western coast, the ideal gateway for those wishing to visit Fethiye, Marmaris, Kaş, Dalyan, Göcek and the stunning Turquoise Coast. Located in Muğla province, it has two separate terminals for domestic and international flights. Since 1989, when it started handling international flights, it has become one of the country’s leading tourism hubs, with connections to over 120 destinations worldwide.
The distances to major tourist destinations underline the airport’s importance: Fethiye is approximately 45 km away (50 minutes’ drive), Marmaris around 95 km (1 hour 20 minutes), Dalyan and Göcek approximately 22-24 km (25-30 minutes). The airport is particularly busy during summer with charter and scheduled flights from across Northern Europe, Italy and Germany.
The Milas-Bodrum Airport (IATA code: BJV) serves the Bodrum peninsula, one of Turkey’s most exclusive beach destinations. It’s located approximately 36 km from Bodrum, with a journey time of around 45 minutes by taxi or bus. The airport mainly handles seasonal charter and scheduled flights during the summer months, with frequent connections from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Italy. During peak season, many direct routes from Europe are activated.
The Adnan Menderes International Airport in Izmir (IATA code: ADB) is the main gateway to Turkey’s northern Aegean coast. Located approximately 18 km from Izmir’s city centre, it serves tourists heading to the ruins of Ephesus, the Çeşme peninsula, Kuşadası and the rich Aegean region. The airport is well-connected to major European cities via scheduled and budget flights, with increased frequencies during the summer season.
The İZBAN metropolitan railway connects the airport directly to the city centre: the regional railway line reaches Basmane central station in approximately 30 minutes with frequent services.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Turkish Airlines is undoubtedly the main carrier for reaching Turkey from Europe. The Turkish national airline operates direct flights from dozens of European airports to Istanbul and onward connections throughout Turkey. It has an excellent domestic network connecting Istanbul with over 50 Turkish destinations, making it convenient to combine a stay in Istanbul with visits to more remote regions such as Cappadocia, the Lycian coast or towns in eastern Turkey. Turkish Airlines fares are generally competitive and on-board service is of a good standard, with meals included even on shorter European routes.
Pegasus Airlines is Turkey’s leading budget carrier and operates mainly from Sabiha Gökçen airport (SAW). With an extensive network of European routes, it often offers very attractive fares to Istanbul, particularly interesting for those wishing to visit the metropolitan city. Pegasus also operates domestic flights to Turkey’s main destinations, sometimes at very competitive prices compared to Turkish Airlines.
Among European budget airlines, Ryanair, Wizz Air and EasyJet operate flights to various Turkish airports, particularly during the summer season. Ryanair primarily serves Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman from major European bases, whilst Wizz Air offers an extensive network of routes from Central and Eastern Europe to Istanbul and Turkish coasts. EasyJet connects various UK and Western European airports with Antalya, Dalaman and Izmir.
Charter flights remain a significant part of air traffic to beach destinations, especially during the summer season from June to August. If you book an all-inclusive package holiday to Antalya, Bodrum, Marmaris or Fethiye, you’ll very likely travel on a direct charter flight organised by the tour operator, often with less flexible schedules but at very competitive prices.
The best time to find competitive fares is the low season, from November to April, when prices to Istanbul can drop significantly. For beach destinations, prices are naturally higher during summer: booking at least 2-3 months in advance makes it possible to find excellent deals, whilst last-minute purchases rarely offer good value during peak season. The months of May-June and September-October represent an excellent compromise between weather, prices and crowds, both for Istanbul and the coast.
Before booking, it’s important to choose the right airport based on your final destination. If your aim is Istanbul, both IST and SAW are valid options, but remember that transfers from Sabiha Gökçen airport (SAW) to the historic centre take longer. If your destination is the Mediterranean coast, direct flights to Antalya, Bodrum or Dalaman eliminate the need for an internal connecting flight and can save several hours of travel.
For domestic flights to destinations such as Cappadocia (Kayseri airport – ASR or Nevşehir – NAV), Trabzon on the Black Sea, or towns in eastern Anatolia, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines offer frequent connections from Istanbul at generally reasonable prices, especially if booked in advance. Turkey’s domestic network is excellent and represents the most convenient way to combine multiple regions of the country in a single trip.
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