Istanbul Airport (IST)

Overview

Located 25 miles (40km) northwest of Istanbul, Istanbul Airport is the biggest airport in Turkey. With its construction being done in stages, it will be the busiest airport by far on its completion in 2027. Its predicted annual capacity will be some 200 million people. Considered a major travel hub, flights to Istanbul Airport will be available on most major international airlines, but so far Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, and Air France are the biggest airlines in operation here. The airport has a great selection of restaurants and duty-free shops too.

Location

The airport is situated 25 miles (40km) northwest of Istanbul.

Getting to the city

While there are plans to connect the railway, shuttles are currently the only form of public transport serving the airport. Havaist and IETT offer shuttle services and tickets/smartcards can be purchased at the airport. Taxis are also readily available.

Time

GMT +3

Contacts

Tel: +90 444 1 442.

Car rental

Car rental companies include Europcar, Comet, Enterprise, Garenta, Hertz, Budget, Avis, and Dokay.

Airport Taxis

Istanbul Airport is northwest of Istanbul and it takes around 45 minutes to an hour to reach the city centre by taxi. There are three main taxis: yellow economy taxis, blue comfort taxis, and black premium taxis.

Transfer between terminals

There is one large, modern terminal at the airport, consisting of seven entrances. Gates 1 and 2 serve domestic flights, while the rest serve international flights.

Facilities

There are shops, banks, bureaux de change, prayer rooms, a large range of food and beverage outlets, bars, a duty free, and passenger lounges. There is also an airport hotel as well as tourism information centres.

Parking

Istanbul Airport boasts one of the largest multi-storey carparks in the world, consisting of five blocks with low-cost to premium options.

Website

www.istanbulhavalimani.com/en

Internet

There is wifi available at the airport.

Business Lounges

Turkish Airlines operates a number of lounges offering a range of entertainment and hospitality services.

Istanbul Airport Taxis: the taxi fares above are intended as a guideline only.