Flights to Istanbul
Which airport to land at, how far each is from the centre, and where the routes go. Live fares are booked here.
Istanbul is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), 33 km (21 mi) from the centre, whose 11,614-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are İstanbul Airport (IST, 34 km), Tekirdağ Çorlu Airport (TEQ, 87 km), Bursa Yenişehir Airport (YEI, 99 km).
| Airport | Code | From centre | Longest runway | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport | SAW | 33 km (21 mi) | 11,614 ft | 312 ft |
| İstanbul Airport | IST | 34 km (21 mi) | 13,451 ft | 325 ft |
| Tekirdağ Çorlu Airport (regional) | TEQ | 87 km (54 mi) | 9,844 ft | 574 ft |
| Bursa Yenişehir Airport (regional) | YEI | 99 km (62 mi) | 9,818 ft | 764 ft |
Runway length is a practical tell: at 11,614 ft, SAW can take the largest long-haul aircraft, so direct intercontinental flights are physically possible here. The airport sits at 312 ft; that is low enough that altitude never restricts departures.
Book a flight to Istanbul
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Routes to and from Istanbul
Straight-line distance and an estimated block time for the city pairs people search for most. Each opens a page with both ends’ airports, the time-zone shift and what changes on arrival.
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul to Cairo | Egypt | 1,235 km (768 mi) | about 2 h 20 min |
| Istanbul to Alexandria | Egypt | 1,094 km (680 mi) | about 2 h 9 min |
| Istanbul to Giza | Egypt | 1,240 km (771 mi) | about 2 h 20 min |
| Istanbul to Ankara | Turkey | 352 km (219 mi) | about 1 h 12 min |
| Istanbul to İzmir | Turkey | 328 km (204 mi) | about 1 h 10 min |
| Istanbul to Rome | Italy | 1,371 km (852 mi) | about 2 h 30 min |
| Istanbul to Gaziantep | Turkey | 850 km (528 mi) | about 1 h 50 min |
| Istanbul to Aleppo | Syria | 891 km (554 mi) | about 1 h 54 min |
| Istanbul to Beirut | Lebanon | 980 km (609 mi) | about 2 h |
| Istanbul to Bucharest | Romania | 445 km (277 mi) | about 1 h 19 min |
| Istanbul to Diyarbakır | Turkey | 1,026 km (637 mi) | about 2 h 4 min |
| Istanbul to Adana | Turkey | 710 km (441 mi) | about 1 h 40 min |
| Istanbul to Minsk | Belarus | 1,437 km (893 mi) | about 2 h 36 min |
| Istanbul to Budapest | Hungary | 1,067 km (663 mi) | about 2 h 7 min |
| Istanbul to Warsaw | Poland | 1,385 km (860 mi) | about 2 h 32 min |
| Istanbul to Vienna | Austria | 1,274 km (792 mi) | about 2 h 23 min |
| Istanbul to Mosul | Iraq | 1,333 km (829 mi) | about 2 h 28 min |
| Istanbul to Erbil | Iraq | 1,412 km (877 mi) | about 2 h 34 min |
| Istanbul to Damascus | Syria | 1,057 km (657 mi) | about 2 h 6 min |
| Istanbul to Kayseri | Turkey | 613 km (381 mi) | about 1 h 32 min |
| Istanbul to Konya | Turkey | 463 km (288 mi) | about 1 h 21 min |
| Istanbul to Antalya | Turkey | 481 km (299 mi) | about 1 h 22 min |
| Istanbul to Shanghai | China | 7,987 km (4,963 mi) | about 10 h 59 min |
| Istanbul to Chongqing | China | 6,929 km (4,306 mi) | about 9 h 38 min |
| Istanbul to Chengdu | China | 6,661 km (4,139 mi) | about 9 h 17 min |
| Istanbul to Beijing | China | 7,057 km (4,385 mi) | about 9 h 48 min |
| Istanbul to Tianjin | China | 7,159 km (4,448 mi) | about 9 h 56 min |
| Istanbul to Wuhan | China | 7,476 km (4,646 mi) | about 10 h 20 min |
| Istanbul to Lahore | Pakistan | 4,154 km (2,581 mi) | about 6 h 5 min |
| Istanbul to Xi’an | China | 6,833 km (4,246 mi) | about 9 h 31 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Common questions
Which airport should I fly into for Istanbul?
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is the closest large airport at 33 km (21 mi). The others, IST, TEQ, YEI, are further out and worth it only when the fare or the airline makes them so.
How far is SAW from Istanbul city centre?
33 km (21 mi) in a straight line; the road or rail distance is somewhat longer.
Can I book flights to Istanbul on this site?
Very soon: our airline partner is switching live fares on for this site. Hotels can be booked now.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.