İstanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport is the primary international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey, and one of the largest and newest airport complexes in the world. Located on the European side of Istanbul near the Black Sea coast, approximately 35 kilometers northwest of the city center, IST opened in stages beginning in 2018 and became fully operational in 2019 when all commercial flights were transferred from the former Ataturk Airport. The airport is designed for an ultimate capacity of 200 million passengers per year when all phases are complete, with current infrastructure handling over 76 million passengers annually. The main terminal building spans over 1.3 million square meters, making it one of the largest airport terminals under a single roof. Istanbul Airport serves as the primary hub for Turkish Airlines, which leverages Istanbul's geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to offer service to more countries than any other airline. The airport is connected to the city by the M11 metro line, express bus services, and a network of shuttle buses. IST currently operates three runways with plans for additional capacity. The airport's position bridging two continents makes it a natural transfer point, and Turkish Airlines has developed it into one of the world's premier connecting hubs for intercontinental travel.