SAWLTFJ

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

Pendik, Istanbul · Turkey · Europe/Istanbul

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2Runways
11,614Longest (ft)
312Elevation (ft)
94Route Records
20Airline Records
UTC+3Timezone
21Mapped Stands
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Traveler Guides

WiFi & ConnectivityeSIM, local SIM and airport WiFiLayover GuideHotels, tours and things to doGetting AroundTransfers, metro, taxi and busAirport LoungesPriority Pass, day passes, accessDining & DrinksRestaurants, cafés and quick bitesAircraft StandsGate & parking stand designatorsAccessibilityMobility, vision, hearing & PRM supportFlight Time EstimatorDistance, duration & timezone from SAW

Current Conditions

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Route Intelligence

37Regional Hub
Shortest route
EDOBalıkesir Koca Seyit Airport245.9 km
Pegasus Airlines
Longest route
ALAAlmaty International Airport3,892.1 km
Pegasus Airlines
Nearest international
OTPBucharest Henri Coandă International Airport485.1 km
Pegasus Airlines
Longest international
ALAAlmaty International Airport3,892.1 km
Pegasus Airlines
Longest domestic
VANVan Ferit Melen Airport1,228.6 km
Pegasus Airlines

Airport Connectivity Score

37/100

Regional Hub

Destinations served94 destinations
Airline diversity20 airlines
Haul mix coverage2 of 4 distance categories

Calculated from destination count, airline diversity, and haul-mix coverage. More signals (customs/border access, ground handling capacity) will be added as the dataset grows.

Runways

06L/24R9,843 ftConcreteLIT
06R/24L11,614 ftConcrete

Haul Mix

short-haul
50
medium-haul
44

Geographic Context

Nearest airport
ISLİstanbul Atatürk Airport41.6 km
Nearest same country
ISLİstanbul Atatürk Airport41.6 km
Nearest international
BOJBurgas Airport238.1 km
Farthest airport
TUBTubuai Airport18,062.4 km
Within 500 km: 41 airportsWithin 1,000 km: 147 airportsWithin 2,000 km: 476 airports

10 Nearest Airports

1ISLİstanbul Atatürk Airport41.6 kmL
2ISTİstanbul Airport63.9 kmL
3KCOCengiz Topel Airport67.6 kmM
4YEIBursa Yenişehir Airport74.7 kmM
5TEQTekirdağ Çorlu Airport119.6 kmM
6BDMBandırma Airport129.6 kmM
7AOEHasan Polatkan Airport158.5 kmL
8ESKEskişehir Air Base164.3 kmM
9BZIBalıkesir Airport184.4 kmM
10BOJBurgas Airport238.1 kmL

ATC Frequencies5

ATISATIS128.2 MHz
CLNC DEL—126.425 MHz
GNDGND121.75 MHz
TWRTWR37.877 MHz
TWRTWR118.8 MHz

Top Aircraft Types

738
111
320
55
73W
8
319
6
73H
5
CR2
1
735
1
733
1
73G
1

Live Departures & Arrivals8

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PGT22QPA21N6,725 ft
THY8VPB38M6,550 ft
AFL630A3202,750 ft
THY2CVA3212,900 ft
THY7VLA3201,150 ft
IRB9735A3101,250 ft
AEE440A3203,025 ft
TCHGEEC351,125 ft

Source: adsb.lol — community ADS-B network. Approximate local traffic within 40nm, not a definitive schedule.

Aircraft Spotted Here

Airbus A321-251NX at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (Borgo Panigale) - LIPEPhoto: Donato Bolelli via JetPhotosBoeing 737-8 MAX at Istanbul Airport - LTFMPhoto: Eymen B via JetPhotosAirbus A320-214 at Antalya - LTAIPhoto: Ege Tasci via JetPhotosAirbus A321-231 at Belgrade Nikola Tesla - LYBEPhoto: Bane's Planes via JetPhotosAirbus A320-232 at Istanbul Airport - LTFMPhoto: Uygar Zorlu via JetPhotosAirbus A310-324 at Tabriz Int'l - OITTPhoto: Mehdi Piltan via JetPhotos

Photos © their respective photographers, via JetPhotos.com — click a photo to view the original.

Airline Records in Dataset20

G9Air Arabia
3OAir Arabia Maroc
BTAir Baltic
ABAir Berlin
KMAir Malta
JUAir Serbia
J2Azerbaijan Airlines
FZFly Dubai
4UGermanwings
J9Jazeera Airways
KUKuwait Airways
XYNas Air
PCPegasus Airlines
XQSunExpress
7RSvyaz Rossiya
TOTransavia France
HVTransavia Holland
TKTurkish Airlines
PSUkraine International Airlines
W6Wizz Air

Data Notes & Community Corrections

Community corrections will appear here once verified travellers start contributing.

Community page — traveler reviews →

Dining & Drinks

Turkish Local Flavours
Çay & Coffee
Quick Bites & Snacks
Sit-Down Restaurant Dining
Full dining guide ↗

External Links

Official Website ↗Wikipedia ↗
Data: OurAirports

Airport HistoryEst. 2001

Opened on January 8, 2001 on Istanbul's Asian side to relieve pressure on the older Atatürk Airport, Sabiha Gökçen grew from under a million annual passengers in its early years into one of Turkey's two busiest airports, exceeding 48 million passengers in 2025. It is named after Sabiha Gökçen, the adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, whom Guinness World Records credits as the world's first female combat pilot after she flew 32 combat missions and logged roughly 8,000 flying hours from 1936 onward. The airport was redeveloped through a build-operate-transfer concession in the 2000s and has become the primary base for Turkey's largest low-cost carriers, Pegasus Airlines and AJet. A second runway opened in 2023, doubling hourly aircraft-movement capacity.

✦The airport is named after Sabiha Gökçen (1913-2001), Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's adopted daughter, whom Guinness World Records recognizes as the world's first female combat pilot after she enrolled in Turkey's Military Aviation Academy in 1936.
✦Gökçen flew roughly 8,000 flight hours over her career, including 32 combat sorties.
✦Located on Istanbul's Asian side, it is one of relatively few major world cities with two large international airports split across two continents (Istanbul Airport in Europe, Sabiha Gökçen in Asia).
✦It is the primary hub for Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's largest low-cost carrier, and for AJet.
2001
Airport opens

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport opened on January 8, 2001, to relieve congestion at Atatürk Airport on Istanbul's European side.

2008
ISG consortium wins operating concession

A consortium of Limak Holding, GMR Group, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad secured a long-term build-operate-transfer concession to redevelop and run the airport.

2009
New international terminal opens

A new international terminal opened on October 31, 2009, with roughly 25 million annual passenger capacity, enabling the airport's rapid growth through the 2010s.

2010
Named 'World's Best Airport' at low-cost carrier congress

The airport received recognition at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London, reflecting its rise as a low-cost hub.

2019
Passenger traffic passes 35 million

Annual passengers exceeded 35 million, surpassing growth projections originally set for 2023.

2023
Second runway opens

A second runway was inaugurated on December 25, 2023, roughly doubling hourly aircraft movement capacity from about 40 to 80.

Operator
İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport Investment Development and Operation Inc. (ISG)2008 – presentOriginally a consortium of Limak Holding, GMR Group, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad; ownership stakes among the partners have shifted over time, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's exact current stake should be treated as time-sensitive.

Editorial content based on Wikipedia, Guinness World Records' own citation for Sabiha Gökçen, and aviation industry press; some biographical details of Sabiha Gökçen are the subject of historical dispute in some sources, and the exact current ownership split among the ISG consortium partners is time-sensitive and should be verified against the airport's latest corporate disclosures before publication.