Marmara

The Marmara Region gets its name from the Sea of Marmara, an inland sea wholly within the borders of Türkiye. Marmara is where Europe meets Asia Minor. To the east is the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles (Gallipoli Straits), to the west is the Bosphorus Strait leading to the Black Sea.

It is best known for İstanbul, Türkiye’s largest and most famous city.

To the north, it is defined by the borders of Greece and Bulgaria. The region shares many influences and traditions with these neighbouring countries. To the south is extends into Anatolia (Asia Minor) past the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, the bustling and historical city of Bursa. "Green" Bursa is located at the foot of Mount Uludağ and derives its name from the dense forest cover.

İstanbul: The Cradle of Civilizations

• İstanbul is served by TWO international airports: The new İstanbul Airport on the European side of the city and Sabiha Gökçen Airport near Pendik on the Asian
• Air traffic growth is amongst the highest in the world.
• The only city in the world which spans two continents (Europe and Asia) divided by the Bosphorus Strait.
• Seventh most visited destination in the world.
• Ranks first on the list of best destinations in the world.
• Ranks eighth in the world for the highest number of meetings organised.

 İstanbul Airport

Once complete, the İstanbul Airport (IST) will offer flights to more than 350 destinations with an annual passenger capacity of up to 200 million. By 2027 it should be the busiest airport in the world by a large margin: its six runways and four terminals will dwarf Türkiye’s aviation hub rivals in the Gulf.

Inaugurated on 29 October 2018 and having proven itself a global hub in its first year already, İstanbul Airport has been serving its passengers at full capacity ever since 6 April 2019.The operation of İstanbul Airport is built over an area of 76.5 million square metres.

İstanbul Airport has been honoured with one of Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle awards in the “Outstanding Innovation” category. The publication, which is among the most prestigious in the global tourism sector, picked İstanbul Airport for its “Special Achievement Award”.

Where is İstanbul Airport?

• Located on the European side of İstanbul, by the Black Sea shore, the new airport is situated at the junction of Çatalca- Göktürk-Arnavutköy, between the villages of Tayakadın and Akpınar.
• The İstanbul Airport can be easily accessed by public transportation such as busses and airport transfer shuttles, as well as taxi and private vehicles. On the European side, the airport is 36 kilometres from Levent, and 40 kilometres from Taksim. On the Anatolian side, total distances are 47 kilometres from Üsküdar and 52 kilometres from Kadıköy. There are also connections to the İstanbul Airport road from The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and The Northern Marmara Highway.

Flights to and from İstanbul Airport

With its dedication to impeccable service, İstanbul Airport serves travellers on both domestic and international flights. Presently, flights take off to 45 cities domestically; on international routes, travellers can reach 249 cities in 110 countries from the international terminal at the İstanbul Airport.

Luxury Stores, Duty Free and Special Passenger Services

İstanbul Airport features a Duty-Free area of 53,000 square metres with world famous brands and stores. Drawing its design inspiration from the Bosporus and featuring a mix of distinguished brands as well as a modern retail concept, the Duty-Free area will offer a pleasant shopping experience to travellers, both before and after their flights. İstanbul Airport takes travel comfort to the next level with a varied selection of services, while its cafés and restaurants offer a selection of tastes from Turkish and world cuisine. In addition to the unmatched shopping experience awaiting travellers, another feature of the new airport, which will turn trips into an unforgettable experience is the special passenger services. İGA Pass encompass, among other offers: fast access checkpoints, buggies, special receptions of incoming and departing passengers, lounge areas and vale services, ensuring a pleasant business trip.

(The new İstanbul Airport replaced the İstanbul Atatürk Airport at Yeşilköy which used to be the country’s main intercontinental passenger hub. It closed to commercial passenger flights on 6 April 2019 when all flights were transferred to the new İstanbul Airport. Since then, the airport is open only for cargo, maintenance, general aviation, air taxis, business flights and state and diplomatic aircraft.)

İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport (İstanbul)
İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), opened in 2001, is a modern airport in the Asian part of İstanbul. The airport is home to low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines and consists of one terminal and two runways. At the beginning of 2022 it will be possible to travel from İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Kadiköy by metro M4, with a transfer option to Metrobüs (Ünalan) and Marmaray (from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sultanahmet).

• There are 54 airlines offering direct flights to 41 domestic and 127 international
• It is the hub of Pegasus Airlines (serving both domestic and international destinations) and the second hub of Turkish Airlines.
• The catchment area encompasses 22 million people of the Turkish population, including some of the most industrialized cities of Türkiye: İstanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Sakarya, Çanakkale, Yalova, Düzce, Bolu and Bilecik.
• stanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport is currently connected to these destinations: Almaty, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Amsterdam, Athens, Baghdad, Bahrain, Baku, Barcelona, Basel, Beirut, Belgrade, Berlin Schönefeld, Berlin Tegel, Bishkek, Bologna, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Cairo, Casablanca, Cologne Bonn, Copenhagen, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Erbil, Ercan, Frankfurt, Geneva, Grozny, Hamburg, Hannover, Hurghada, Jeddah, Kharkov, Krasnodar, Kuwait, London Gatwick , London Stansted, Lviv, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Madinah, Milan Malpensa, Milan Bergamo, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow, Munich, Münster, Nizhny Novgorod, Nuremberg, Oslo, Paris CDG, Paris-Orly, Prague, Pristina, Riyadh, Rome, Samara, Sarajevo, Sharjah, Sharm el Sheikh , Skopje, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sulaymaniyah, Tbilisi, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Vienna, Volgograd, Zaporizhzhia and Zurich.
• Türkiye’s first barrier-free airport offering easier travelling experience for people with reduced mobility.

Where is İstanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport situated?

• İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen is located on the Anatolian Side of İstanbul, and is 31 km from Kadıköy, 12 km from Pendik and 40 km from Taksim. The airport is situated southeast of the city centre. The nearest motorway is the E80, after the right exit it is just 5 minutes to the airport.

How many terminals does İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport have?

• The airport has one modern terminal for both domestic and international flights, this terminal was inaugurated in 2009. You will find the Arrivals hall on the ground floor and the Departures hall on the upper floor. After the baggage claim you will arrive in the public part of the Arrivals hall, where you can withdraw money, buy a SIM card and walk towards the taxis and buses.

Bursa Yenişehir Airport

• Bursa Yenişehir Airport (YEI) is 53 km east of Bursa, 10 km west of Yenişehir, and 69 km south of Yalova. It offers AnadoluJet domestic flights to Ankara, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Muş and Trabzon. It is particularly active in winter with international charter flights bringing skiers to the slopes of Uludağ. Bursa Yenişehir Airport was formerly a military airport and has later been transformed into a civil airport. It is located in an area of 5600 m². The process of returning to the civil airport began in 1995, and the opening date of the area is reported to be 2000.
• There are domestic services by AnadoluJet to Ankara, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Muş and Trabzon.

Tekirdağ Çorlu Airport

• Tekirdağ-Çorlu Airport (TEQ), 14km southeast of the centre of Çorlu, 61 km northeast of Tekirdağ, and 107 km west of İstanbul, receives some regional flights.
• There are domestic flights to and from Ankara.

Balıkesir Kocaseyit Airport

• Balıkesir Kocaseyit Airport (BZI). The construction of the airport was completed in 1997, and the airport operated for domestic flights only until 2010. In 2010 international flights started. Balikesir Airport is very close to many historical places, but the centre is 80 km away.
• There are domestic flights to both İstanbul Airports and Ankara. There is a seasonal International Flight to Cologne/Bonn by Corendon Airlines.

Çanakkale Airport

• Çanakkale Airport (CKZ) is a small Airport on the Dardanelles Straits. The busiest days at the airport are 18 March and 25 April every year, both significant dates in Turkish history related to the Ottoman Empire's involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I; 18 March is the anniversary of World War I defeat of the allied attempt to force the Dardanelles; and 25 April is Anzac Day.
• There are domestic flights to İstanbul, Ankara and Gaziantep.

Kocaeli Cengiz Topel Airport

• Kocaeli Cengiz Topel Airport (KCO). Topel Airport was originally a Turkish Air Force facility. The airport is in joint use for military and civilian services.
• There are domestic flights to Trabzon.