This airport, which is officially called very simply “Istanbul Airport” (in Turkish “İ stanbul Havalimanı"), is one of the newest in the world. Its official opening took place on October 29, 2018, and the first passenger flight was carried out on April 6, 2019. The airport was built from scratch; the area continues to be built up and developed.
CONTENTS:
1. Istanbul Airport for arrivals
2. Useful services for passengers
3. Public transport at the airport
4. Station Square
5. Airport City and Ali Kushchu Mosque
6. Departure from Istanbul - check-in for flights
7. Clear area for international departures
1. Istanbul Airport for arrivals
Unlike the old Istanbul Ataturk Airport, the new airport was built outside the city, at a distance of approximately 40 km from the historical center of Istanbul. A flat site was chosen for construction between the village of Arnavutkoy and the Black Sea coastline. Previously, there was a forest in this place, of which not a trace remains.
The passenger terminal of the new Istanbul Airport is huge. Together with the piers, the area of From the distant gates, the walk to passport control is quite far, about 20 minutes.
When you get inside, you are immediately struck by the spaciousness and stylish modern interior of the terminal. After the cramped old Ataturk Airport with very low ceilings, one can only rejoice at the new airport in Turkey's main city.
The border control area is located in the very center of the terminal. If you are flying through Istanbul in transit to another country, then you can transfer from flight to flight without passing the border guards. But again, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that if the arrival and the next departure are at different ends of the terminal wings, then the transition between the gates can take up to 30-40 minutes.
Issue area The luggage area is also large and spacious. There are about a dozen luggage belts in the hall. The required tape can be easily found on the boards installed right there.
After receiving baggage and passing through customs, passengers find themselves in the general arrivals area. It is a huge hall stretching the entire length of the terminal on the ground floor of the terminal.
2. Useful services for passengers
I liked Istanbul airport with a whole range of useful services that can be very useful for passengers. Next, I’ll tell you about several interesting features of the airport.
2.1. Duty-Free shops in the arrivals area
A pleasant surprise upon arrival is the presence of Duty-Free shops. Moreover, these are full-fledged stores with really low duty-free prices. Upon arrival in Istanbul, you can buy perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol and other popular things.
2.2. Phone chargers
At Istanbul Airport it is not difficult to charge your phone or other personal gadget. Charging devices with sockets of various types and USB ports can be found almost everywhere - in the departure and arrival areas, common and "clean".
Sockets are built into the armrests of the sofas..
..and installed in the form of separate racks.
In the departure area there is even a whole charging station with a large number of sockets.
2.3. Free Internet
An extremely useful service is free Internet. It can be accessed at special counters installed in the general arrivals area.
The Internet is provided via a Wi-Fi network, and the password for access is issued at these counters. The passenger can choose one of 4 languages You can only use the Internet for free for 1 hour. You can also buy a package here for a longer period. To gain access, you need to scan your passport into the device.
The access code is shown on the screen. In addition, it can be printed.
The printed coupon provides detailed instructions for authorization on the airport Internet.
2.4. Currency exchange
You can exchange currency at Istanbul Airport anywhere without any problems. But I would like to draw your attention to one detail that I noticed.
In the clear zone, that is, before border control upon arrival, there are only commercial exchangers that look like this:
The rates here are not favorable, since the exchanger takes a rather large commission, almost 10% of the amount.
You can exchange currency more profitably in branches of Turkish banks, which are already located in the general arrivals area - after the border guards , customs officers and baggage claim. Bank exchangers look like this:
2.5 . Hotel reservations, transfers and city tours
In the general arrivals area you can find information desks with reference information for tourists, as well as travel agency kiosks. Here you can get information, buy an excursion or order a transfer.
2.6. Hotel in the terminal
At Istanbul Airport you can stay in a hotel without even leaving the terminal. Inside the building there is a hotel called "Jotel". A stand with its advertisement greets the passenger at the exit from the clean arrival area.
The hotel is stylish and modern, but not cheap. The cost of daily accommodation here is about 300 euros. The entrance to the hotel can be found behind the check-in counters in the departure area.
2.7. Food Court
Get a bite to eat at Istanbul Airport before departure, you can go to one of the catering establishments, which are combined into a single space.
You can get to the food court via an escalator - one floor above the departure area.
I chose a cafe with the familiar name "Sbarro".
The food here is inexpensive by airport standards. A small set lunch cost me only 89 Turkish lira.
2.8. Car rental and taxi order
In the arrivals area of There are all famous world brands here, as well as several purely Turkish companies.
In addition, in the arrivals hall you can find an official airport taxi counter and rent a car at a predetermined rate.
2.9. Entertainment for children
Another interesting feature of Istanbul Airport is entertainment for children. Like, for example, this children's slide installed in the very center of the registration hall:
2.10. Information desks
Not bad at Istanbul airport and with navigation. Firstly, there are a lot of signs. Secondly, in several places you can find the following information desks:
The navigation is complemented by interactive help screens that help you better navigate the huge terminal.
In general, welcome to Istanbul airport!
3. Public transport at the airport
Since the new Istanbul airport is significantly removed from the city, the creators of the airport had to spend significant efforts to create transport accessibility of the air harbor. In my opinion, it turned out to be successful. The public transport infrastructure is divided into several facilities and does not create a crowd in the station area.
The first floor (that is, the ground level) is reserved for taxis and car rentals. Underground "-1" floor for buses. And 100 meters from the terminal, also underground, a metro station was built.
More details about each type of transport below.
3.1. Taxi and car rental
Immediately at the exit from the arrivals area of Cars go into the distance in a long line.
Immediately behind the taxi rank in a multi-level parking lot. Rental car parking lots are located closest to the terminal exits.
The airport parking lot itself is huge. The first floor of the terminal corresponds to the 3rd floor of the parking lot. Its floors go both up and down. In addition to the floor numbers, dividing the zones into different colors helps you navigate the parking lot.
3.2. Buses
Bus transport is the most widespread in Turkey. In this country, huge bus stations and bus routes cover the entire country. It is not surprising that an entire bus station was built at the new airport for buses. It is located on the underground "-1" floor. You can get there from the arrivals area by going down the escalator, and from the departures area by elevator.
The bus station looks like a long series of bus stops (platforms).
The first closest lane is reserved for the movements of shuttle buses, the second for hotel shuttle buses, then 2 lanes are used for boarding passengers in private vehicles. And this area ends with the entrance to the lower levels of the car park.
From the airport you can take buses to various areas of Istanbul, as well as to another capital airport, Sabiha Gokcen.
The information stand shows all available routes and fares.
Each bus departs from its own platform. There are 20 such platforms in total. The platform numbers are indicated on a large stand on the wall.
Next, for example, is an express bus going to Istanbul's central bus station "Esenler", which is located in the Bayrampasa district. From this bus station you can then go to any city in Turkey and even neighboring countries. Travel time from the airport to Esenler bus station is about 40 minutes.
Bus tickets can be purchased at a kiosk 10 meters from the platform. The kiosk looks like this:
At Istanbul Airport there are also some long-distance bus routes that run to other major cities in Turkey, without stopping in Istanbul. For example, yellow buses from the BBBus company go to Bursa.
3.3. Personal transport
As I mentioned above, bus parking lanes are allocated for boarding passengers who are picked up by private vehicles. When sending off by personal transport, it is better to go to the overpass at the airport, to the 2nd floor of the departure area. But for the meeting you need to go to this underground floor.
3.4. Metro
By 2023, a metro line was extended to Istanbul Airport and it became possible to get there using this convenient form of transport.
A new railway station was built for trains, which was hidden underground . Only the roof of the boarding pavilion is visible on the ground.
There is a pedestrian crossing leading to the railway station, which starts at the exit from the terminal.
Pedestrian path protected from the sun and precipitation by a canopy and equipped with a travelator to speed up movement.
The crossing has one intermediate exit to the station area.
To get to the station, at the end of the passage you need to go down the escalators.
4 . Station Square
Istanbul airport has a large surrounding area, which is essentially an entire city, which even has its own mosque. A high-speed multi-lane highway is connected to the passenger terminal.
At the entrance to the terminal, the road branches into many exits - to the mosque, to the parking lot, to departure, arrival, etc.
For departing passengers, there is an overpass for entry directly to the top floor of the building, where the departure area is located.
Unlike the bus station, there are flows of buses and taxis under the terminal. not divorced. All arriving transport stops on one line.
In total, the terminal has 7 entrances, but not all of them are open.
The car overpass was built at a short distance from the terminal. Therefore, there are pedestrian bridges leading to each entrance to the building.
From below it looks like this:
Several bridges as well have an extension with lifts through which you can go down to the lower level.
Another large section with elevators is located across the road from the terminal - there is an entrance to the car park.
In general, the overpass near the departure area is the upper level of the parking lot. You can already leave your car here. But, unlike other levels, the parking lot at this level is open, without a roof or canopy.
Space for cars is allocated with a reserve. There are a lot of free spaces.
I would call one car parking an element of art. In Istanbul it's not just a huge rectangular box. This is a rather elegant engineering structure with steps and its own landscaping. It reminds me of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon from the history books.
In total, I counted 7 levels of parking. But perhaps he did not take into account some other underground levels.
The previously mentioned passage to the metro station passes through the parking lot, which here already becomes a bridge.
The next interesting area begins behind the parking lot, which I will talk about in the next chapter.
In the meantime, I’ll say a few more words about the landscaping of the terminal. This issue also did not go unnoticed by the architects.
The new Istanbul airport was built on the site of a cleared forest. Apparently, this is why the creators had a desire to recreate part of the forest in the form of a landscape park.
Small green areas have already been arranged along the walls of the terminal.
Next- more. If you move a few tens of meters away from the terminal, there will be a park.
The transition to the metro station has also received rich landscaping.
In fact, the airport received a full-fledged walking area with paths, benches, and interesting lighting.
Moving away from the terminal, the paths lead to another interesting area of Airport City and the Ali-Kushchu Mosque[/B]
Even at the entrance to the airport, a modern mosque built near the road attracts attention.
The large building stands out from the general background, resting on the sky with its minarets.
This mosque was built together with the airport and is called Ali-Kushchu. That's where I went, continuing my walk around the airport.
The path from the passenger terminal to the mosque through a beautiful landscaped park.
Towards the pedestrian paths and the trees here are also complemented by designer ponds, giving coolness and additional charm to the park.
The terminal is very close here. Therefore, if you have free time during a transfer in Istanbul, you can go to this park and take a walk.
Currently, the park is not yet a completed project. The path to the mosque is surrounded by a fence covered with advertising banners.
It turns out that there is a project called "Airport City", which involves the construction of a small town near the airport.
In the coming years, the area adjacent to the airport will be built up with multi-storey buildings. Business centers, hotels, residential buildings with apartments will be located here.
Judging by the pictures, as a result, a large center of attraction for business should appear at the airport.
The passenger terminal can still be seen in full glory from afar, but soon this area is promised to be built up.
Since I had already reached the mosque during my walk, there was a reason to look inside.
The mosque at Istanbul Airport is named after the medieval Ottoman scholar Ali al-Qushchi, who died in Constantinople in 1474. The scientist studied mathematics and astronomy. Something a little similar to aviation, apparently the authors of the project decided.
Entrance to the mosque:
Inside the mosque is made in a modern style and looks very Beautiful. The prayer hall has a round shape.
Dome:
Chandelier:
Room at the entrance to main hall:
Fountains in the courtyard of the mosque:
There is a separate parking lot next to the mosque.
6. Departure from Istanbul - check-in for flights
The last 2 sections of our review will tell you about the features of Istanbul airport from the point of view of the departing passenger.
The first thing passengers have to face is a huge departure hall in which you need to find your way.
To help with orientation, the airport has information desks with online displays that are clearly visible from afar. Here you can get information about departing flights.
The rows of check-in counters are divided into zones marked with letters.
The check-in hall layout looks like this:
There are 16 rows in total, designated in Latin letters from A to S. To depart for international flights, you then need to go to passport control in the very center of the hall. For domestic flights in Turkey, the boarding gate is located on the right side of the hall.
The check-in hall has a regular rectangular shape, and the check-in counters are located parallel to each other. Therefore, it’s not difficult to find your way inside.
The airport also has several islands for self-check-in.
Identification takes place using a bank card or passport.
A useful little thing at the airport is special shelves, where you can repack your luggage.
There are several waiting areas in the check-in area. But there are not many of them. It is expected that passengers will not be delayed in this area.
Istanbul Airport's main base carrier is the national Turkish Turkish Airlines. Therefore, the best places are allocated for them. Check-in for Turkish flights is carried out at the counters in the center of the hall.
The airline's ticket offices are also located here. Moreover, please note that they are divided into 2 separate rooms. The red zone is for regular Turkish Airlines passengers, and the black zone is for business class passengers.
I would like to point out that elite passengers flying business class have a special status, which is noticeable in terminal. It starts with the fact that a special check-in area is allocated for such passengers. A separate entrance to this area is even provided from the street.
Inside the terminal, the area is also separated by a separate screen.
Personal employees are at the disposal of such passengers here, special security control, a separate waiting area with soft sofas.
The check-in process for flights ends with exit to the special control area. For international flights, it is located in the center of the hall, next to the large advertising LCD screen.
For border control you need to go here:
7. Clean area for international departures
The clean area begins immediately after special control.
Passengers are immediately greeted by a huge shopping center.
In the foreground are shops with luxury goods.
The shops here are large and there are many shops. First you walk through a series of bright shop windows.
It must be said that all this splendor concerns primarily passengers of international flights. Of the 6 boarding galleries, 5 are reserved for international flights (letters A, B, C, D, E). For domestic flights, only one gallery G is allocated.
In the clean area you can also find information desks where you can get the necessary information.
When departing from Istanbul, there is time for hiking There are very few stores left. Since check-in for flights opens 1.5 hours before departure. Given the queues and long distances, there is almost no free time left. Therefore, visiting retail outlets is more important for passengers who fly with long layovers in Istanbul.
Closer to the boarding gates, the dominance of bright shop windows recedes. Here you can more often find cafes and recreation areas.
These are the impressions I got from the new Istanbul International Airport. I guess I wasn’t able to see all the interesting places, especially in the clean area, because the airport is really huge. If you want to add anything, write in the comments.
Thank you for your attention and interest in my review!
Vote for review:
