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İstanbul Atatürk Airport

Istanbul(Bakırköy), Turkey

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Destinations

ICAO

LTBA

Elevation

163 ft

The gateway in a glance

The Essence of İstanbul Atatürk Airport

ISL

Location

Istanbul(Bakırköy) · 34 · Turkey

Position

40.972°, 28.824° · 163 ft elev.

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A closer look

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TravelerPulse profile

Istanbul's historic gateway, now a cargo and general aviation hub.

Opened

1924

Location

Istanbul, Turkey

İstanbul Atatürk Airport served as the main international airport for Istanbul, Turkey, for decades before its closure to commercial passenger traffic in April 2019, when operations shifted to the new İstanbul Airport (IST). Named after the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the airport was located in the Bakırköy district on the European side of Istanbul. At its peak, Atatürk Airport was one of the busiest airports in Europe, handling over 68 million passengers annually. It served as the primary hub for Turkish Airlines and was a major connecting point between Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Following the transition of passenger services to the new İstanbul Airport, Atatürk Airport continues to operate in a limited capacity, handling cargo flights, general aviation, and some technical operations. The future use of the site has been subject to ongoing planning discussions by Turkish authorities.

Terminals

The airport featured two international terminals and one domestic terminal, with Terminal 1 (international) being the primary facility for international passengers.

Getting to & from

The airport was connected to Istanbul's city center via the M1 metro line, taxis, and bus services operated by IETT and Havaş.

Airlines here

Turkish Airlines used Atatürk Airport as its primary hub, alongside other carriers including Pegasus Airlines and numerous international airlines before passenger operations ceased in 2019.

Notable facts

›Commercial passenger operations ended on April 6, 2019, when services transferred to the new İstanbul Airport.
›At its peak in 2018, the airport handled over 68 million passengers, making it one of Europe's busiest.
›The airport was originally established in 1924 and underwent multiple expansions over the decades.
›It was named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey.
›The airport remains active for cargo, general aviation, and technical flight operations.

Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

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Encyclopaedia

Atatürk Airport is a public airport located in Yeşilköy, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Formerly the primary international airport of Istanbul and the hub of Turkish Airlines, it was closed to commercial passenger flights on 6 April 2019. From that point, all commercial scheduled passenger flights were transferred to the new Istanbul Airport. Since the move of commercial operations to the new airport, Atatürk Airport is open to general aviation and functions as an executive airport.

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