Istanbul Atatürk International Airport

Istanbul Atatürk International Airport (IST)

The Istanbul Airport is officially called Atatürk International Airport, after the founder of modern Turkey: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. There are two terminals: one for international flights (A) and one for domestic flights (B). The International Terminal was opened in 2001 and is therefore quite modern.

Atatürk Airport is 24 kilometers southwest of Istanbul, in the European part. The second international airport in the city – Sabiha Gökçen International Airport – is on the other side of the Bosporus, in the Asian part. There are plans to build a new airport north of the city.

Prices are given here in the local currency, the Turkish (new) lire. € 1.00 = 1.85 lire (January 2007).

Local transport

Train

It is a five minute walk from the International Terminal to the metro station. The metro is a cheaper alternative than other means of transportation. A ticket only costs 1.10 lire. Route: CNR Expo exhibition centre, Yenibosna, Ataköy/Sirinevler, Bahçelievler, Bakirköy/Incirli, Zeytinburnu (tram), Merter, Davutpasa, Terazidere, Otogar (bus station), Kartaltepe/Kocatepe, Sagmalcilar, Bayrampasa, Topkapi/Ulubatli, Emniyet/Fatih, Aksaray (tram and bus).

Car and bus

From the centre of Istanbul the airport is accessible by the motorway E5 or by the motorway O1 and O2. The route to the airport is clearly indicated.

There are special shuttle busses from Havas to the centre of Istanbul (Taksim square) and to the central bus station. The travel time is about a half hour. There are also busses going from the airport to Akmerkez (Etiler).

Car rental Istanbul Atatürk International Airport

In the International Arrivals Hall there are counters for the car rental companies Airport Tours, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National, Sixt and Ülger. You can also reserve a rental car in advance using the service EasyTerra provides. They compare the rates of several providers in a single quote.

Taxi

Taxis are outside the Arrivals Hall. A ride to the centre of Istanbul takes about 30 minutes and costs approximately 20-30 lire. Between midnight and 06:00 there is a surcharge of 50%.

Airport Parking

On the north side of the terminal there is a parking garage with places for more than 7,000 cars. For the first hour parking you pay 6 lire, for three hours 8 lire, for 12 hours 14.50 lire and for the whole day 20 lire. A week of parking costs 90 lire, and two weeks costs 122 lire.

Services

Hotels

The Istanbul International Airport Hotel (tel: +90(0)212 465 4030) has 85 rooms, a fitness centre, two conference rooms and a business center. Other hotels in the area of the airport are Radisson SAS Conference and Airport Hotel (tel: +90(0)212 475 2323), Polat Renaissance Istanbul Hotel (tel: +90(0)212 663 1700) and the Airport Inn Hotel (tel: +90(0)212 663 7859). For more hotels and reserving online you can go to Booking.com. They have a large offering of hotels with great internet rates.

Shops and restaurants

The airport has a good offering of shops and eating and drinking places. There are five duty-free shops and a ‘bazaar’ that is inspired by the famous Istiklal Street in Istanbul.

Baggage

In the Arrivals Hall there is a counter where you can store baggage. For a normal suitcase you pay 12 lire per day, and for a large suitcase you pay 15 lire per day. The window for lost and found items is in the International Departures Hall.

Information

There are several information counters in both terminals. Besides airport information the personnel can assist with reserving a hotel room. They also have brochures for tourist sights in Istanbul.

Business

In the International Terminal there are five VIP Lounges and three meeting rooms. The Tepe Conference Hall has places for a maximum of 70 persons, the Akfen Conference Hall is large with places for 200 persons and the F Ergokmen Hall has a capacity of 50 persons. More information is available through the general telephone number.

Business services and meeting rooms are also available in the Istanbul International Airport Hotel and in the Radisson SAS Hotel (see Hotels).

Handicapped persons

The airport is accessible for handicapped persons. There are wheelchair ramps and adapted elevators and restrooms. After the passport control there are electrocars (tel: +90(0)212 663 2550) available for handicapped persons that are for gates that are far away. For assistance you can turn to the information counters.

Other services

There are banks, money exchange offices and cash machines. There is a post office in the National Terminal as well as the International Terminal. First Aid can be called upon through the general information counters or at tel: +90 212 663 64 00, extension 707. Furthermore, there are baby changing rooms and children’s play corners.

Contact

Address

Atatürk Uluslararasi Havalimani
Bas Mudur
Atatürk Dhmi
Istanbul Yesilkoy 34830
Turkey

Telephone, fax, email

Telephone: +90(0)212 663 6400
Fax: +90(0)212 663 6250
E-mail: info@tav.com.tr

Airport codes

IATA airport code: IST
ICAO airport code: LTBA