Reasons to fly from Istanbul's second airport

Most major European cities have multiple airports serving as international gateways, and Istanbul is no exception. Istanbul Airport (IST) is the city's main international gateway and serves as the hub for Turkish Airlines, a global heritage airline, but it also has a second smaller but important facility. plays an important role in facilitating international air travel. Istanbul Airport is located north of the city on the European side of the Bosphorus. Sabiha Gokcen International Airport

(SAW) is located on the Asian side of the narrow body of water, south of the city's business district and core hub.

This small airport, approximately 32 kilometers from the city center, serves as the transcontinental city's main hub for low-cost airlines, with both A-Jet (a low-cost subsidiary of Turkish Airlines) and Pegasus Airlines serving as major carriers. We maintain a base of operations. The facility, which opened 24 years ago in January 2001, operates two separate runways, both made of concrete, one approximately 10,000 feet long and one that is approximately 10,000 feet long. It is slightly longer at about 11,500 feet. The airport still has room for expansion, and traffic is expected to continue to increase in the coming years.

The airport is named after Sabiha Gökçen, the adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. She was the world's first female fighter pilot and was known as an aviation pioneer. Istanbul Airport, approximately 60 miles from the city center, is consistently ranked as one of the busiest airports in Europe, while SAW is consistently one of the largest leisure-oriented airports in the Middle East. , home to one of the largest LCC airlines in the Middle East. Any facility within the area.

So why on earth would you fly from this airport?

One of the most interesting questions we often get asked about Istanbul Airport, especially by visitors to Istanbul Airport who are not familiar with the workings of the local air transport industry, is why on earth would anyone choose to fly out of the airport? The answer is a little more complicated than you might expect, and speaks to the complex nature of domestic air travel in Turkey.

Istanbul Airport is the city's global hub and is primarily designed to serve as the largest base for Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier and one of the most important companies nationwide. Turkish Airlines flies to more destinations from this airport than any other airline on earth, and has built its entire business model on connecting passengers within the city. For other international airlines, Istanbul Airport serves as a major international hub, operating flights there and ensuring that passengers enjoy all the comforts and conveniences of a major international hub.

However, Sabiha Gokcen Airport is primarily designed to serve a different type of traveler. While Istanbul Airport is primarily built to serve business travelers flying to and from the city or connecting there, Sabiha Gökçen is primarily built to serve leisure travelers, especially those traveling from Istanbul to Europe, the Middle East, and other nearby destinations. is designed primarily to serve leisure travelers traveling to destinations. North Africa. As a result, the facility has become an attractive operating base for Turkish low-cost airlines, with very limited services for traditional airlines (including European airlines).

Learn more about the history of Sabiha Gokcen Airport

To understand why this facility operates the way it does today, it is important to look back at SAW's past 24 years of operation. The facility was originally built in the last years of the 1990s to accommodate rapidly increasing passenger demand that Atatürk Airport could no longer accommodate. The facility officially opened on January 8, 2001, with an international terminal that could accommodate more than 3 million passengers per year, and a smaller domestic terminal that could accommodate approximately 500,000 passengers.

In June 2007, Rimac Holding, a development conglomerate comprising foreign investors GMR Group and Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (MAHB) won the tender for major renovations to the airport. By mid-2008, construction work began to significantly expand the international terminal's capacity, eventually allowing it to accommodate up to 25 million passengers per year. The upgraded terminal facility opened on October 31, 2009.

From 2009 to 2010, passenger traffic at the facility increased by 71%, and the year after renovations were completed, the airport's passenger traffic exceeded 11 million. The airport continued to grow rapidly, handling more than 35 million passengers annually by 2019. This was mainly driven by the continued expansion of LCCs. Nasdaq said this number was much higher than its original forecast in 2010. Airlines like Pegasus that have set up shop at the airport have turned the airport into a second global hub rather than just a relief airport.

This airport has won numerous awards over the years. In September 2010, the facility was named the world's best airport at the World Low-cost Aviation Conference in London. The facility was awarded Turkey's Most Successful Tourism Investment in 2010 by Route Europe and also received the Airport Transportation Growth Award from Airline News & Network Analysis.

In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport once again continued to strengthen its operational capabilities. The airport opened its second runway on December 25, 2023, doubling the airport's hourly capacity. The facility, which previously could only operate 40 flights per hour during peak hours, can now operate up to 80 flights when operating at full capacity. A new passenger terminal will also be built between the two runways in recent years.

Easy transportation to and from the airport from most parts of the city

Like most airports in Europe and the Middle East, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport has extensive connections to the city of Istanbul through several different transportation options. The property is also well connected to the metropolitan area, with short travel times, especially to many of the city's southern suburbs. The most notable connections are public transport, but motorway connections are also available at the airport.

The property is located just 14 kilometers from Pendik Railway Station, so it has some good connectivity with the national rail infrastructure. From the region's rail hub, passengers can easily catch trains to destinations throughout northwestern Turkey, as well as services to the capital Ankara. Currently, a metro rail connection between the airport and Marmaray and Yüksek Hizli Tren stations is under construction, but a direct connection via the M4 metro already exists. This property is also located near multiple sea taxi ranks.

The property can also be accessed by car or by ride-sharing services using the European Highway E80, which connects directly to Istanbul Metropolitan Area. Several shuttle bus companies operate express services to the area, while public bus lines E10 and E11 serve nearby towns and provide additional links to existing public transport infrastructure .

So what does it all boil down to when it comes to airports?

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport offers direct flights to a wide range of destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, primarily served by low-cost and regional airlines. Service to hub airports such as London Heathrow Airport (LHR), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Dubai International Airport (DXB) is common, but regional services to destinations such as Lebanon, Syria, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia are also available. The same is true.

If you're flying to or from this airport, you'll definitely be flying with Pegasus Airlines or AJet, the two major airlines at this property. From the facility, Pegasus flies to more than 130 destinations, and A-Jet flies to about 80 destinations, including major cities and popular leisure hubs across the Mediterranean, according to AeroRoutes. For anyone looking to travel to a warmer destination, especially those looking for great deals on flights, the airport is probably the best starting point.

Flying from Sabiha Gökçen as opposed to Istanbul Airport has several notable advantages beyond just lower fares on low-cost carriers. The airline can be significantly closer to the city center for many passengers, and its lower passenger numbers mean shorter lines, faster security processing times, and a quieter travel experience. is common. At the end of the day, the most likely reason not to fly SAW is if you're flying on a low-cost carrier to a leisure destination somewhere in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East.