Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

Secondary airport serving Istanbul, Turkey From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (IATA: SAW, ICAO: LTFJ) is the secondary international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey. Located 32 km (20 mi) southeast[1] 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.

Airport typePublic
OwnerHEAŞ (Airport Management & Aeronautical Industries Inc)
OperatorMalaysia Airports
ServesIstanbul, Turkey
Quick facts Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airportİstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararası Havalimanı, Summary ...
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen
International Airport
İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen
Uluslararası Havalimanı
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerHEAŞ (Airport Management & Aeronautical Industries Inc)
OperatorMalaysia Airports
ServesIstanbul, Turkey
LocationTurkey Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey
Opened8 January 2001; 25 years ago (2001-01-08)
Operating base for
Time zoneTRT (UTC+3)
Elevation AMSL95 m / 312 ft
Coordinates40°53′54″N 29°18′33″E
Websitewww.sabihagokcen.aero
Map
SAW/LTFJ is located in Istanbul
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ
Location of airport in Istanbul province
SAW/LTFJ is located in Turkey
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ (Turkey)
SAW/LTFJ is located in Europe
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ (Europe)
SAW/LTFJ is located in North Atlantic
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ
SAW/LTFJ (North Atlantic)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06L/24R 3,000 9,843 Concrete
06R/24L 3,500 11,483 Concrete
Statistics (2025)
Annual passenger capacity46,000,000
Passengers48,407,318
Passenger change 2024–25Increase17%
Aircraft movements275,537
Movements change 2024–25Increase14%
Source: Turkish AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]
Passenger Traffic, ACI Europe[2]
Close
Terminal building
Check-in area
View of the apron

The airport is named after Sabiha Gökçen, adoptive daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the first female fighter pilot in the world.[3] Although Istanbul Airport, located 63 km (39 mi) west of the European side of Istanbul, is larger, It handled over 48.4 million passengers in 2025,[4] making it the second-busiest airport in Turkey, and forty sixth-busiest airport in the world.

Overview

Foundation

The airport was built because Atatürk Airport (located on the European side) was not large enough to meet the booming passenger demands (both domestic and international). The airport opened on 8 January 2001. In June 2007, Turkish conglomerate Limak Holding, India's GMR Group and Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad (MAHB) consortium gained the contract for upgrading and maintaining the airport. In mid-2008, ground was broken to upgrade the international terminal to handle 25 million passengers annually. The new terminal was inaugurated on 31 October 2009.[5]

SAW's international terminal capacity originally was 3 million passengers per year and the domestic terminal capacity was 0.5 million passengers per year. In 2010, Sabiha Gökçen airport handled 11,189,678 passengers, a 72% increase compared to 2009.[6] The airport was planning (in 2010) to host 25 million passengers by 2023,[7][8] but has already received and handled more than 35 million passengers by 2019.

Expansion

In September 2010, the airport was voted the World's Best Airport at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London and received the award.[9] The other awards received by the airport in 2010 were: Turkey's Most Successful Tourism Investment 2010, the highly commended award from Routes Europe, and the Airport Traffic Growth Award by Airline News & Network Analysis.[10]

A second runway was inaugurated on 25 December 2023.[11] The addition of this runway will increase the hourly capacity from 40 to 80 aircraft movements, making the airport hope for double the capacity. It is also planned to build new passenger terminals between the two runways.[12]

Facilities

Terminal

The new terminal building with a 25 million annual passenger capacity serves domestic and international flights under one roof. It is equipped with 112 check-in, 24 online check-in counters as well as a VIP building and apron viewing CIP halls with business lounges. The terminal additionally features a 400 m2 (4,300 sq ft) conference centre, a 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft) food court and a duty-free shopping area with a ground of 4,500 square metres (48,000 sq ft). At the international departures area, on the airside, an hourly hotel and lounge became operational in January 2020 as well.[13]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport:[14]

More information Airlines, Destinations ...
AirlinesDestinations
Air Arabia Cairo,[15][16] Casablanca,[17] Sharjah,[18] Tangier[19]
Air Cairo Cairo[20]
AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur–International[21]
AJet[22][23][24] Adana/Mersin,[25][26] Adiyaman,[25] Ağrı,[25] Aleppo,[27] Algiers,[28] Amsterdam,[25] Ankara,[25] Antalya,[25] Baghdad, Bahrain,[29] Baku,[25] Barcelona,[30] Basel/Mulhouse,[25] Basra,[31] Batman,[25] Belgrade,[32][33] Bergamo,[25][34] Berlin,[35] Beirut,[36] Bishkek,[37] Bodrum,[25] Brussels,[25] Budapest,[25][38] Cairo,[39] Chișinău (begins 5 June 2026),[40] Cologne/Bonn,[35] Copenhagen,[25][33] Dalaman,[25] Damascus,[41] Dammam,[42] Denizli,[25] Diyarbakır,[25] Dubai–International,[25] Düsseldorf,[35] Edremit,[43] Elazığ,[25] Erbil, Ercan,[25] Erzincan,[25] Erzurum,[44] Frankfurt,[35] Ganja,[45] Gaziantep,[25] Geneva,[46] Giza, Hamburg,[35][33] Hannover,[35][33] Hatay,[25] Hurghada,[39] Iași,[47] Iğdır,[25][48] İzmir,[25] Jeddah,[42] Kars,[25] Kayseri,[25] Konya,[25] Kuwait City, London–Stansted,[35] Lyon,[25][33] Malatya,[25] Mardin,[25] Medina, Moscow–Vnukovo,[49] Munich,[35] Nakhchivan,[45] Nevşehir,[25] Ordu/Giresun,[25] Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[25] Prague,[50] Pristina,[51][25] Riyadh,[42] Rize/Artvin,[25][52] Rome–Fiumicino,[25] Rotterdam/The Hague,[53] Saint Petersburg,[54] Samsun,[25] Şanlıurfa,[25] Sarajevo,[25][33] Sharjah,[35][55] Sharm El Sheikh,[39] Şırnak,[25] Sivas,[25] Skopje,[56] Stockholm–Arlanda,[57] Stuttgart,[35] Sulaimaniyah,[31] Şymkent, Tbilisi,[25] Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tirana,[58] Tokat,[25][59] Trabzon,[25] Van,[25] Vienna,[25] Zurich[25][33]
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku[60]
FlyArystan Türkistan
Fly Baghdad Baghdad
Flydubai Dubai–International[61]
Flynas Dammam, Gassim, Jeddah,[62] Riyadh
Iraqi Airways Baghdad
Jazeera Airways Kuwait City[63]
Kam Air Kabul[64]
Kuwait Airways Kuwait City
Nile Air Cairo[65]
Pegasus Airlines Abu Dhabi,[66][67] Adana/Mersin,[68] Adıyaman,[69] Alexandria,[70] Algiers,[71] Alicante (begins 23 June 2026) [72] Almaty,[73] Amasya/Merzifon,[73] Amman–Queen Alia,[73] Amsterdam,[74] Ankara,[75] Antalya,[76] Aqtau,[77] Aqtöbe,[78] Astana,[73] Athens,[73] Atyrau,[79] Baghdad, Bahrain,[73] Baku,[73] Barcelona,[80] Basel/Mulhouse,[73] Basra,[81] Batman,[73] Batumi,[82] Beirut, Belgrade,[73] Bergamo,[74] Berlin,[73] Bilbao, Bratislava,[83] Birmingham,[84] Bishkek,[85] Bodrum,[74] Bologna,[73] Bremen,[86] Bristol,[87] Bucharest–Otopeni,[73] Budapest,[73] Casablanca,[88] Charleroi,[73] Chisinau,[77] Cluj-Napoca,[87] Cologne/Bonn, Copenhagen,[74] Dalaman,[74] Dammam,[89] Denizli,[73] Diyarbakır,[74] Doha, Dushanbe,[90] Dortmund,[91] Dubai–International,[73] Dublin,[92] Düsseldorf,[73] Edinburgh,[93] Edremit,[73] Eindhoven,[94] Elazığ,[73] Erbil, Ercan,[73] Erzincan,[73] Erzurum,[73] Frankfurt,[73] Ganja,[95][96] Gaziantep,[73] Gazipaşa/Alanya,[73] Geneva,[74] Giza,[77] Graz,[87] Grozny, Hamburg,[73] Hannover,[73] Hatay,[97] Helsinki,[73] Hurghada,[73] Iğdır,[98] Isfahan,[99] İzmir,[73] Jeddah,[85] Kahramanmaraş,[100] Karachi, Kars,[73] Kastamonu, Kayseri,[74] Konya,[74] Kutaisi,[101] Kuwait City, Ljubljana, London–Gatwick (begins 15 June 2026),[102] London–Stansted,[73] Luxor,[103] Lyon,[73] Madrid,[73] Malatya,[73] Manchester,[104] Mardin,[73] Marsa Alam,[105] Marseille,[73] Mashhad,[106] Medina,[107] Munich,[73] Muş,[73] Muscat,[108] Nice,[109] Nuremberg, Oral,[110] Ordu/Giresun,[73] Osh,[80][111] Oslo,[73] Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[69] Paris–Orly,[74] Podgorica,[112] Prague,[73] Pristina,[73] Ras Al Khaimah,[113] Riyadh,[85][114] Rize/Artvin,[73] Rome–Fiumicino,[74] Rotterdam/The Hague,[115] Saint Petersburg,[116] Samsun,[74] Şanlıurfa,[74] Sarajevo,[73] Seville,[117][118] Sharjah,[119] Sharm El Sheikh,[73] Shiraz,[99] Sinop,[120] Sivas,[73] Skopje,[73] Sofia,[121] Stockholm–Arlanda,[122] Stuttgart,[73] Sulaimaniyah,[123] Şymkent,[73] Tabriz, Tbilisi,[73] Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tirana,[73] Trabzon,[73] Tuzla,[124] Van,[73] Venice,[125] Vienna,[73] Yerevan,[126] Zagreb,[127][128] Zurich[74]
Seasonal: Mytilene,[69] Rhodes[69]
Qatar Airways Doha
SalamAir Muscat[129][130]
Close

Cargo

More information Airlines, Destinations ...
AirlinesDestinations
Cargolux[131] Luxembourg
Ethiopian Cargo[132] Addis Ababa
MNG Airlines[133] Leipzig/Halle, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Close

Statistics

PassengersYear010,000,00020,000,00030,000,00040,000,00050,000,000200020052010201520202025PassengersAnnual passenger traffic
More information Year, Domestic ...
İstanbul–Sabiha Gökçen International Airport passenger traffic statistics[134]
Year Domestic % change International % change Total % change
2026(Apr.) 6,781,507 Increase 13% 8,470,630 Increase 4% 15,252,137 Increase 8%
2025 21,193,145 Increase 9% 27,214,173 Increase 24% 48,407,318 Increase 17%
2024 19,503,828 Increase 12% 21,945,216 Increase 13% 41,449,044 Increase 13%
2023 17,473,660 Increase 15% 19,351,764 Increase 25% 36,825,424 Increase 20%
2022 15,239,756 Decrease 5% 15,498,098 Increase 76% 30,737,854 Increase 23%
2021 16,095,763 Increase 38% 8,805,144 Increase 67% 24,900,907 Increase 47%
2020 11,687,578 Decrease 46% 5,263,612 Decrease 63% 16,951,190 Decrease 52%
2019 21,505,088 Decrease 4% 14,055,522 Increase 21% 35,560,610 Increase 4%
2018 22,514,048 Increase 7% 11,619,569 Increase 13% 34,133,617 Increase 9%
2017 21,075,833 Increase 4% 10,310,205 Increase 9% 31,386,038 Increase 6%
2016 20,196,261 Increase 9% 9,471,592 Decrease 1% 29,667,853 Increase 6%
2015 18,525,649 Increase 24% 9,583,089 Increase 12% 28,108,738 Increase 20%
2014 14,955,571 Increase 25% 8,539,075 Increase 30% 23,494,646 Increase 27%
2013 11,928,074 Increase 23% 6,593,688 Increase 33% 18,521,762 Increase 26%
2012 9,710,105 Increase 12% 4,975,947 Increase 13% 14,686,052 Increase 12%
2011 8,704,249 Increase 16% 4,420,421 Increase 19% 13,124,670 Increase 17%
2010 7,489,479 Increase 66% 3,700,199 Increase 84% 11,189,678 Increase 72%
2009 4,510,895 Increase 63% 2,006,591 Increase 32% 6,517,486 Increase 52%
2008 2,764,856 Increase 9% 1,516,337 Increase 27% 4,281,193 Increase 15%
2007 2,528,549 Increase 17% 1,191,946 Increase 56% 3,720,495 Increase 28%
2006 2,153,561 Increase 285% 762,893 Increase 66% 2,916,454 Increase 186%
2005 559,824 Increase 5323% 459,922 Increase 96% 1,019,746 Increase 315%
2004 10,323 Increase 265% 235,278 Increase 52% 245,601 Increase 56%
2003 2,826 Decrease 5% 154,346 Increase 21% 157,172 Increase 21%
2002 2,975 Decrease 75% 127,302 Increase 259% 130,277 Increase 175%
2001 11,924 Steady 35,453 Steady 47,377 Steady
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Ground transport

See also: Public transport in Istanbul
The M4 metro line has been extended to the airport.

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is connected to the city of Istanbul and the city's wider metropolitan area through a number of transport options.

Rail

The airport is located 14 km from the Pendik railway station and sea-taxi stations.

Metro

Main article: Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı (Istanbul Metro)

The Line M4 M4 metro line was extended to Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı station on 2 October 2022.[135][136]

Line M10 (Istanbul Metro) M10, a metro connection to the Marmaray commuter rail and High Speed Train (YHT) Yüksek Hızlı Tren high-speed trains via the Pendik station is currently under construction, with opening planned for 2026.[137]

Road

The airport is reachable by car and taxi[138] from the E80 European motorway which passes through the Istanbul Metropolitan Area. Shuttlebus companies such as Havaist, along with express public buses operated by the İETT,[139] serve Taksim and Kadıköy, and there are coaches to nearby towns and cities.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 23 December 2015, at approximately 2:00 AM, explosions were reported to have occurred in a parked Pegasus Airlines aircraft, killing one cleaner and wounding another inside the plane. Five nearby planes were reported to be damaged as well. The operations were reported to continue normally soon after, however with heightened security measures in place.[140] Three days later, it was reported that militant group Kurdistan Freedom Falcons had organized the attack.[141]
  • On 7 January 2020, a plane operated as Pegasus Airlines flight 747, a Boeing 737-800, suffered a runway excursion after landing. Passengers evacuated the aircraft using slides. No fatalities or injuries occurred.[142]
  • On 5 February 2020, a Boeing 737-800, registration TC-IZK, operated as Pegasus Airlines Flight 2193, skidded off the end of Runway 06, leading to an airport shutdown.[143] There were 177 passengers and 6 crew on board. Three people were killed, another 179 were injured.

See also

References

External links

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