ISTLTFM

Istanbul Airport

Istanbul, Türkiye · 80.1M (2024) passengers / year · 2 terminals

INTL DOM

At a glance

IATA / ICAO

IST / LTFM

Passengers / year

80.1M (2024)

Terminal

Single mega-terminal (international + domestic halls)

Concourses

A · B · C · D · E · F · G

Runways

5 (will become 6 by 2027)

Main carrier

Turkish Airlines (TK) — 60% of capacity

Replaced

Atatürk Airport (IST → ISL) in 2019

Distance to old city

50 km / 31 mi

Terminals + flights

Tap a terminal to filter airlines, lounges and flights

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Terminals

INTLInternational Terminal

Turkish Airlines + Star Alliance hub

Airlines (16)

Largest single-airport terminal in the world by floor area. 5 concourses (A-F+G), 143 gates. Tulip-shaped roof design.

DOMDomestic Terminal

Turkish Airlines + AnadoluJet domestic

Airlines (4)

Separate hall within the same building. Faster security than international side.

Notable flights

59 shown

Flights we have seen operating from dated fare data, most frequently seen first. Tap a flight number for its route, usual departure time and flight time.

TG901→ BKK

THAI Airways · Bangkok

Departs 16:30

TK66→ DPS

Turkish Airlines · Kuta, Badung

Departs 01:55

TK67← DPS

Turkish Airlines · Kuta, Badung

13h 30m flight

TK208→ SIN

Turkish Airlines · Singapore

Departs 17:15

TK173← HKT

Turkish Airlines · Phuket

THAI Airways · Bangkok

10h 20m flight

TK209← SIN

Turkish Airlines · Singapore

11h 50m flight

BA680← LHR

British Airways · London

3h 55m flight

BA679→ LHR

British Airways · London

Departs 18:35

TK50→ NRT

Turkish Airlines · Narita

Departs 15:25

TK51← NRT

Turkish Airlines · Narita

13h 50m flight

TK7546→ HKT

Turkish Airlines · Phuket

Turkish Airlines · Phuket

Departs 02:00

TK167← HKT

Turkish Airlines · Phuket

+ 41 more flights — filter by terminal to narrow down.

Lounges

Turkish Airlines Business Lounge

INTL

TK Business + Star Alliance Gold

World's largest airline business lounge — 5,900 sqm, 765 seats, "Sky Lounge" branding.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Lounge

INTL

TK Miles&Smiles Elite Plus + Star Alliance Gold

IGA Lounge

INTL

PriorityPass · Pay-per-use $50

Best PriorityPass option. Multiple sub-locations.

Avianca Lounge

INTL

Star Alliance Gold (non-TK)

Yotel Cabins

INTL

Pay-per-cabin €40-€100

Sleep cabins by the hour, between A + B concourses.

IST — Frequently asked

Mode	To	Cost	Time	Notes
M11 Metro	Gayrettepe (Levent/Şişli)	₺44	37 min	Opened 2023. Direct to central business district. Best option.
Havaist bus	Taksim / Sultanahmet / Kadıköy	₺150	60-100 min	Hourly direct to all major districts; multiple routes.
Taxi	Sultanahmet (old city)	₺600-₺900	45-90 min	Metered + 50% night surcharge. Use only yellow + turquoise official taxis.
IGA HiTaxi	Anywhere in Istanbul	App-priced ₺500-₺900	45-90 min	Airport-affiliated taxi app — safer than street taxis.
Uber	Anywhere	₺450-₺800	45-90 min	Limited fleet in Türkiye — falls back on yellow taxis.
Hotel shuttle	Most 4*+ hotels	Free or ₺100-₺200	60-90 min

How do I get from Istanbul Airport to the city centre?+

M11 Metro — ₺44, 37 min direct to Gayrettepe (central business district). Opened 2023, runs every 8-15 min. Best option for almost all travellers. Havaist bus — ₺150 direct to Taksim Square + Sultanahmet (old city) + Kadıköy (Asian side); hourly + reliable. Taxi ₺600-₺900 (use only official yellow/turquoise + IGA HiTaxi app). Don't use unofficial drivers in arrivals — common scam.

Why is Istanbul Airport so big?+

Designed as the world's largest airport when complete (~200M passengers/year by 2030). Replaced the smaller Atatürk Airport in 2019. Turkish Airlines uses IST as a transit hub between Europe + Asia + Africa + Americas — TK flies to more countries than any other airline (130+). The single terminal building covers 1.4M sqm (15 million sqft) of floor area.

How long does it take to walk from security to my gate at IST?+

Significant. From security to the furthest A or G concourse gate is 25-30 minutes of walking. Moving walkways help. IST has internal trams between some sections but mostly you walk. If your gate changes (common with TK's tight scheduling), you may need to sprint. Arrive 90 min before short-haul departures, 2.5h+ before long-haul.

Can I leave Istanbul Airport during a layover?+

Yes — most nationalities (US / UK / EU / Australia / Japan / South Korea + many others) get visa-free or e-visa entry. Turkish Airlines offers FREE stopover hotels in Istanbul for layovers 6h+ on TK long-haul (book at "TourIstanbul" desk after arrival). Otherwise: M11 Metro to Gayrettepe (37 min), then short walk + Metro M2 to Taksim or M2 + tram to Sultanahmet for the major sights. Allow 5-6 hours minimum round trip.

What is Turkish Airlines' free stopover programme?+

TK offers free 1-2 night Istanbul stopover accommodation for passengers with 6h-24h international-international transit times via IST. Books at the "TourIstanbul" desk in International arrivals or in advance at turkishairlines.com/touristanbul. Includes hotel + airport transfer + city tour. Eligible carriers: Turkish Airlines marketed flights only.

How early should I arrive at IST?+

Domestic: 90 min. International: 2.5-3 hours. IST has a massive single security hall — peaks (06:00-09:00, 20:00-midnight) can hit 45-60 min waits. TK offers premium fast-track for Business + Star Gold. The walk from security to far gates (A or G concourse extremes) adds 20-30 min. Don't cut it fine.

Istanbul Airport

At a glance

Terminals + flights

Terminals

Notable flights

Lounges

To / from Istanbul

IST — Frequently asked

Other major airports