Istanbul Airport

ABOUT

Istanbul Airport (IST), also known as iGA – Istanbul Grand Airport, is the primary international gateway to Istanbul and the largest airport in Türkiye. Located in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city, it replaced Atatürk Airport for all scheduled passenger flights on 6 April 2019 and inherited the IST code at that time. The airport serves as the main hub for Turkish Airlines and connects Istanbul to more than 120 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. In 2024, it handled over 80 million passengers, placing it among the busiest airports in Europe and worldwide for both total and international traffic.

The airport operates from a single terminal covering approximately 1.44 million square meters, one of the largest terminal buildings in the world. It features five concourses serving domestic and international flights, more than 140 boarding bridges, and extensive passenger services including retail, dining, lounges, prayer rooms, medical facilities, hotels, and cultural exhibition areas. Istanbul Airport currently has five runways, with long-term expansion plans for additional runways and terminals that would increase capacity to up to 200 million passengers annually. Access to the airport is provided by highways, bus services, taxis, and the M11 metro line, strengthening its role as a major global transportation hub.