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Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey

Explore Pendik, Istanbul city guide Navigate to this airport

Routes out

145

Destinations

ICAO

LTFJ

Elevation

312 ft

The gateway in a glance

The Essence of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

SAW

Location

Pendik, Istanbul · 34 · Turkey

Connectivity

145 routes · 98 destinations

Position

40.899°, 29.309° · 312 ft elev.

Visa & Entry

e-Visa, Visa-free entry (many countries)Official

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A closer look

Living guide content for Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport — read or listen in 46+ languages.

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TravelerPulse profile

Istanbul's second international airport on the Anatolian side.

Opened

2001

Location

Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW/LTFJ) is located on the Asian side of Istanbul in the Pendik district, serving as the city's second major international airport alongside Istanbul Airport on the European side. It was named after Sabiha Gökçen, the world's first female combat pilot and adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The airport opened in 2001 and has undergone significant expansions to handle rapidly growing passenger volumes, particularly driven by low-cost carriers. A modern international terminal was added in 2009, greatly increasing capacity. Sabiha Gökçen has become a major hub for low-cost and budget airlines in Turkey and the region, handling tens of millions of passengers annually and serving hundreds of destinations across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

Terminals

The airport operates a single integrated terminal complex with separate domestic and international processing areas, designed to handle over 35 million passengers per year.

Getting to & from

Ground transport options include Havabus and other airport shuttle buses connecting to various Istanbul districts, metro/rail links, taxis, and ride-hailing services, with journey times to the city center typically ranging from 45 to 90 minutes.

Airlines here

Pegasus Airlines uses Sabiha Gökçen as its primary hub, while AnadoluJet and several other low-cost carriers including easyJet and Wizz Air operate significant services here.

Notable facts

›Named after Sabiha Gökçen, considered the world's first female combat pilot.
›Opened in 2001 as a public-private partnership, with a major terminal expansion completed in 2009.
›Serves primarily as a low-cost carrier hub, with Pegasus Airlines as its main operator.
›Located approximately 45 km southeast of Istanbul's city center on the Anatolian (Asian) side.
›Handled over 35 million passengers in pre-pandemic peak years.

Official website 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.

Route map (94 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Routes

SAW → CMN3O · 320

SAW → CGN4U · 319 320

SAW → DTM4U · 319

SAW → HAJ4U · 319

SAW → HAM4U · 319

SAW → STR4U · 319

SAW → TXL4U · 319

SAW → MRV7R · CR2

SAW → CGNAB · 738

SAW → DUSAB · 738

SAW → MUCAB · 738 320

SAW → NUEAB · 738

SAW → STRAB · 320 738

SAW → SXFAB · 738

SAW → RIXBT · 735

SAW → DXBFZ · 73H

SAW → SHJG9 · 320

SAW → AMSHV · 73H 73W

SAW → EINHV · 73H 73W

SAW → RTMHV · 73H 73W

SAW → GYDJ2 · 319

SAW → KWIJ9 · 320

SAW → BEGJU · 733

SAW → MLAKM · 320

SAW → KWIKU · 738

SAW → ADAPC · 738 320

SAW → ADBPC · 738 320

SAW → ALAPC · 738

SAW → AMSPC · 738

SAW → ARNPC · 738 320

SAW → ASRPC · 320 738

SAW → ATHPC · 738 320

SAW → AYTPC · 320 738

SAW → BALPC · 320 738

SAW → BCNPC · 738

SAW → BEGPC · 738

SAW → BEYPC · 738

SAW → BGYPC · 738

SAW → BJVPC · 738 320

SAW → BLQPC · 320 738

SAW → BSLPC · 320 738

SAW → CGNPC · 738

SAW → CPHPC · 738 320

SAW → CRLPC · 738 320

SAW → DIYPC · 738 320

SAW → DLMPC · 738 320

SAW → DMEPC · 738 320

SAW → DNZPC · 738 320

SAW → DOHPC · 738

SAW → DOKPC · 320 738

SAW → DUSPC · 738

SAW → DXBPC · 738

SAW → EBUPC · 738 320

SAW → ECNPC · 738

SAW → EDOPC · 738 320

SAW → ERCPC · 738 320

SAW → ERZPC · 738 320

SAW → ESBPC · 738 320

SAW → EZSPC · 738

SAW → FCOPC · 738 320

Aircraft operating here

Boeing 737-800115 routes Airbus A32057 routes 73W8 routes Airbus A3197 routes 73H5 routes Canadair Regional Jet 2001 routes Boeing 737-5001 routes Boeing 737-3001 routes Boeing 737-7001 routes

Stay, Eat & Explore: Istanbul

Where continents meet

•Hagia Sophia — Fifteen centuries as cathedral, mosque and wonder of the world.
•Blue Mosque — Six minarets and 20,000 İznik tiles.
•Topkapı Palace — The sultans' seaside palace and treasury.
•Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar — 4,000 shops of carpets, lamps, lokum and saffron.
•Bosphorus Cruise — Palaces and fortresses from the strait between two continents.

Getting around: Trams, metro, funiculars and ferries knit the two shores; the İstanbulkart covers them all. IST airport links by metro and Havaist buses.

Full Istanbul guide → Places to stay Dining guide

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Passport, Visa & Immigration

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Encyclopaedia

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is the secondary international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey. Located 32 km (20 mi) southeast of the city centre, Sabiha Gökçen Airport is in the Asian part of the transcontinental city and serves as the operating base for AJet and Pegasus Airlines.

Read full article on Wikipedia