Welcome to Istanbul New International Airport
Istanbul New International Airport's slogan is the "future of travelling," giving air passengers a good idea of how high they set the bar for air travel comfort. Officially opening on the 95th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, the airport operates domestic flights and excels in international flights all over the globe. As one of the world’s busiest airports, this aviation hub is a remarkable achievement for Istanbul and Turkey. It connects the world with the city and other Turkish destinations.
The air travel hub is like a mini city with an annual passenger capacity of 90 million fliers and 200 check-in counters. But when complete, will handle 144 planes, employ more than 200,000 people, and have an annual capacity of 200 million passengers, making it the biggest airport in the world. However, navigating it is pretty easy if you know what to expect. So, let's find out what you need to know.
Istanbul New International Airport: Facilities and Features
Where is Istanbul's New Airport?
The location is in European Istanbul, just 35 kilometres from the city centre, and as if heading to the Black Sea coast. For Asian Istanbul, people fly into Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, another award-winning transport hub. Sabiha Gökçen Airport, named after the adopted daughter of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ranks second in terms of passenger numbers.
Duty-Free Shopping
As impressive as the airport terminal and runways are, another feature grabbing attention is the duty-free area covering 55,000 square meters. Designed with a Bosphorus theme, nine sections cover various themes, including luxury, beach, fashion, and family.
Everything is sold here, but it is also about unique shopping experiences with state-of-the-art technology. That includes rechargeable bright shopping baskets, mobile payment kiosks, and 3D hologram systems. Customer profiling also allows shoppers to see what they look like in clothes, jewellery, sunglasses, and makeup without trying them on.
Outdoor Parking and Car Hire
All aspects of comfortable flying experiences were carefully planned, including the 5-block parking zones holding up to 40,000 vehicles. Don't think you will lose your car or forget where you parked it because an innovative license reading system easily lets you locate it via the app, while 2,500 cameras and on-site security ensure it stays safe. Short-term parking is available in parking zones P1 to P5.
You don't have to walk far for an extra fee because there are two valet parking pick-up points and three valet departure points. Other premium services include car washing, mini maintenance, and tyre changes. Otherwise, all major car rental companies, including Hertz, Goldcar, Budget, and Avis, have offices in the arrivals hall.
YOTEL Istanbul Airport
Keeping in with the style of being the biggest and best, the Istanbul new airport hotel accommodation lives up to standards by offering the unique Yotel experience. Designed for business and leisure travellers, bright cabins include smart beds, TVs to stream from guests' devices, monsoon showers and free wi-fi, while public facilities include food, drink, and an on-site gym. We all know that when flying, time is of the essence, so they have placed 174 rooms within the departure level, next to passport control, and with the self-check-in and check-out facilities, it's easier for you to fly.
Shuttle Transfers, Taxi services and Bus Services for Passengers
International and domestic passengers can choose from Havaist, IETT, or Seyahat bus services, which cover all districts between them. Havaist services run two to four times an hour to Taksim, Sultanahmet, and Eminonu. While Istanbul Seyahat runs to Corlu and Tekirdag. They don't take cash, though. So, get Transport Karts from ticket machines (biletmatik) at the same level. There are private transfer services from most tour operators in Istanbul, and the Istanbul airport metro runs every ten minutes and can reach the city centre in 40 minutes.
IGA Premium Services: Fly-in Style
IGA further enhanced travel experiences by offering premium services to make journeys smoother. Their lounge on the international departure floor includes a wi-fi connection, an open buffet food and bar, duty-free billiards, a smoking balcony, a shower, a prayer room, a computer, a printer, and meeting and Skype rooms for professionals.
Families can use the kid's playroom, climbing walls, baby care, and non-alcoholic sections.Other facilities include the meet and greet, which offers fast-track check-in to the international boarding gates, and porter service until you board your flight. Ultimately, though, their buggy rides capture all the attention.
Serving passengers on international and domestic flights, they carry from 3 to 5 people right to their gates, with a stop at designated duty-free shops if you want to spend some cash. Passengers can also use valet and car parking services by buying one of their premium membership packages. Indeed, IGA is going far out to offer the world's best air travel experience.
Must-Have: IGA App
Given the size of Istanbul New Airport and its many features, first-time visitors may be a little apprehensive about their trip, but IGA makes travelling all more straightforward with the downloadable app. Flight tracking allows you to receive regular updates, while the home-to-gate feature helps you plan your journey time.
The map is a helpful feature; downloading it gives you free Wi-Fi access. To get to the rest of Istanbul, the transportation service update lets you know all your options. People staying in Istanbul can access the free travel guide with updates on what is happening, where, and when. You can find the app on both iTunes and Google Play.
What happened to Ataturk Airport?
Istanbul Atatürk Airport was the city's former central hub. Still, the growing number of passengers and the inability to expand and modernise Ataturk airport prompted the government to build a new one. In 2019, all commercial flights transferred to Istanbul's new airport, and only private jets could fly into Ataturk. Aviation fairs have also been held there, and the IST airport code was also transferred over.
Plans have been put in place to transform the ground of Atatürk International Airport into a National Garden, and many trees have been planted. However, this drew some criticism. In 2024, the Industry and Technology Ministry also said they plan to transform the terminal buildings into a hub for technology and entrepreneurship.
The Grand Scale of Investment
The investment cost for one of the largest airport terminals, at 1 million 300 thousand square meters, is 10.2 billion euros. The plan is to achieve a rental income of about 25 billion euros and thus realise the world's largest build-operate-transfer project in terms of investment and rental income. When completed, it will have six independent runways, 16 taxiways, and 500 aircraft parking spaces suitable for all aircraft types.
Three separate passenger terminal buildings will be connected with their transport rail system, 280 innovative passenger boarding bridges, three technical blocks, an air traffic control tower, VIP halls, a cargo and general aviation terminal and a state guest house. On the other hand, the giant project will cover other facilities such as parking lots, duty-free areas, rental offices, currency exchange offices, hotels, shops and mosques. Turkish cargo also has its base there.
Turkish Airlines at Istanbul Grand Airport
Given the prominence, it seems only fitting that Turkish Airlines would join the hype. With ambitions to become the world's leading airline carrier, the airport complex is the perfect base for them to showcase their unique services, international passenger flights, and professionalism.
With Turkish Airlines business class in international departures and the Turkish Airlines domestic lounge, flyers are treated to the best service before they fly. For the Turkish Airlines Lounge miles&smile club, passengers, including members of Star Alliance Gold, enjoy free Wi-Fi, a computer, television, fax, an accessible shower, disabled passenger access, flight tracking screens, a meeting room, a children's playground, and food and beverages. The domestic lounge is at the end of Pier G, while the international lounge is at the end of Pier D. They also have 252 check-in desks across seven aisles.
The Impressive ATC Tower
As an aviation centre, one would expect nothing but the best. Alongside the impressive airfield ground lighting, the vaulted ceilings' architecture, and the international terminal's decor, one aspect has won awards worldwide—the air traffic tower. Offering panoramic views across the runways and countryside, airport management handles hundreds of daily flights seamlessly but quickly and efficiently. However, the tulip-shaped architecture has won awards for reflecting on the Ottoman Empire's tulip era.
Also About Istanbul
Questions and Answers: Despite massive fame and admiration worldwide, Istanbul is still vastly misunderstood. Many people arrive at our website having asked questions like where Istanbul is or about which continent it sits on. Istanbul, an Alpha World City with economic power and political influence both domestically and internationally, is regaining supremacy. As Turkey's most prominent and wealthiest city, its 15 million population makes it one of the world's largest cities.
Interesting Facts: Aside from Istanbul's new international airport, to list interesting facts about Istanbul would take a book. This is no surprise, given its iconic status as Turkey’s most prominent city. From the urban infrastructure to food to history to people, it would be fair to say the city exists in a different bubble from the rest of the country. Understanding how locals live, their culture and their heritage would also take a lifetime.
About Us
We are Turkey Homes, selling property in Istanbul and across the country in other destinations like Bodrum, Fethiye and Antalya. If you want to know more about owning property in Turkey, see our portfolio here, or contact an agent to chat more about the country and the innovative transport hub of Istanbul.
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