The well-known proverb about being greeted by clothes can be safely changed into a tourist way - they are met at the airport, escorted by color! But it is true, the airport is the face of the city. And when it comes to such major tourist cities as Istanbul, then the requirements for the airport are set accordingly.
Epigraph about majestic Istanbul
Istanbul is a city with a unique and beautiful history that was founded in 667 BC. e. and until 1930 bore the proud name of Constantinople, being the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires during their greatest prosperity. It is not surprising that many mistakenly call it the capital of Turkey, because it is one of the largest cities in this extraordinary country. Its area is 5343 sq. km, and the population is more than 14 million people.
Istanbul is a large casket of historical treasures stored in the city's museums, the number of which, together with architectural sights, makes up half of the cultural and historical heritage of all of Turkey. Yes, in Istanbulancient Christian churches, Muslim mosques, fortresses, sultan's palaces have survived to this day, and a unique temple, built entirely of iron, the Cathedral of St. Stephen of Bulgaria, occupies a special place. In addition, Istanbul is home to the world's largest indoor market, the ancient Grand Bazaar, which has over 3,000 shops.
But despite the antiquity and the clearly traceable spirit of the times, Istanbul is a very developed city that keeps up with the times. For example, the metro in Istanbul was built in 1875 and is considered one of the oldest in the world after London and New York.
Everything is fascinating in Istanbul, even its amazing geography. The famous Bosphorus attracts tourists from all over the world, becoming an inspiration for artists, writers, and musicians. In addition, the Bosphorus Strait is part of the no less unique geography of the city, dividing it in half and located simultaneously in two parts of the world - in Europe and Asia. It is this mixture of two different cultures on the same land that gives Istanbul its unique charm and charm. It is called so - "the city on the Bosphorus", which is visited annually by more than 6 million tourists.
How to get to Istanbul
The geographical location of the "city on the Bosphorus" left its mark on the development of the city's air transport. Thus, today Istanbul is served by two international airports:
- In the European part, this is İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı Airport (ICAO airport code - LTBA and IATA - ist).
- Asianparts are İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı Airport (which has ICAO codes LTFJ and IATA SAW).
Given the large passenger traffic, in 2012 it was decided to build a third airport to unload the Ataturk and Sabiha airports. By the way, their total passenger traffic is more than 80 million passengers a year.
Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Airport
Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, named after the first President of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is located in the European part of Istanbul, 24 km from the city center and is one of the largest airports in Europe. The history of the airport dates back to 1924, when it was used exclusively for military purposes. The first flights of civil aircraft began already in 1938, and in 1953 a new terminal for international flights was opened.
Today Ataturk is a large airport with an area of 9.5 million square meters, with a developed infrastructure and an annual passenger flow of more than 60 million people. Its convenient location on the coast of the Sea of Marmara makes it easy to get to it:
- It will take 30-35 minutes to travel on the ground light metro in a straight line from Aksaray station directly to Ataturk Airport for 4 Turkish liras (~70 rubles).
- On regular buses, the journey will take 40-50 minutes for 12 Turkish liras (~204 rubles). The best in this business are special express buses Havatas (Havatas).
- Taxi is the most expensive way to get thereto the airport, but the fastest - in just half an hour you can get to the central square for 50-60 Turkish lira (~ 1000 rubles).
- You can also rent a car and drive to the airport on your own using the Coastal Road, the D-100 International Road and the TEM (Trans-European Motorway).
The infrastructure of Ataturk Airport includes not only everything you need, but also luxury lounges, hotels, cafes and restaurants with a variety of national and European cuisine, Duty Free shops, souvenir stands, WI-FI coverage, counters information, ATMs, pharmacies, luggage storage, baggage packing, currency exchange, car rental and more.
More than a hundred airlines operate their flights at Ataturk Airport. Among them:
- AEROFLOT RUSSIAN AIRLINES.
- AIR FRANCE.
- AIR CANADA.
- BRITISH AIRWAYS.
- DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA AG.
- EMIRATES.
- PEGASUS AIRLINES.
- ROSSIYA AIRLINES.
- TURKISH AIRLINES.
- UKRAINE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE and others.
Sabiha Gokcen Airport
Second Istanbul International Airport - "Sabiha Gokcen" - is located in the Asian part of the city, 35 km from the center. The airport bears the name of the first Turkish female military pilot, Sabiha Gokcen, who was also the adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Construction of Sabiha Airportin Istanbul began in 1998, and in January 2001 it was put into operation. The main reason for the start of the construction of the second airport was the ever-increasing passenger traffic at the only Ataturk airport at that time. In 2008, the construction of another terminal began, and already in 2009 it was put into operation. So, today Istanbul Gokcen Airport with an area of 200 thousand square meters. m serves more than 28 million passengers a year.
Unlike the Ataturk airport, the location of the Sabiha airport has an inconvenient transport interchange, the main disadvantage of which is the lack of a metro. However, there are other ways to get to the airport:
- On buses that run frequently from the center and back. By the way, this is also the most budgetary way.
- On Havatas express shuttles. As in the case of Ataturk Airport, this is the fastest, most convenient and reliable way to travel.
- Taxi is also an expensive way to get to and from the airport.
- Metrobus is the main public transport in Istanbul. He moves quickly and rarely gets stuck in traffic jams. But you need to take the KM22 bus to its stop.
The infrastructure of the airport "Sabiha" is highly developed and meets all the modern needs of passengers. The airport has numerous duty-free shops, cafes and restaurants, pharmacies and first-aid posts, a mother and child room, currency exchange services, ATMs, WI-FI, counters forrecharging gadgets, parking and hotel services. In addition, the airport is equipped with ramps for people with disabilities.
Sabiha Gokcen Airport is the base airport for Pegasus Airlines and the hub for Turkish Airlines, Turkey's main carrier.
Istanbul Third Airport
The popularity of Turkish resorts is growing every year, and therefore the passenger traffic at airports, which often act as connecting points for various flights, is also growing.
Therefore, in June 2014, the Istanbul authorities decided to build a third airport, which, along with Sabiha Gokcen Airport, is designed to relieve Ataturk Airport.
The new airport, according to the plans of the authorities, will have to show a capacity of up to 150 million people a year, which is likely to make it the first largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. It is planned that 6 runways will be opened at the new airport.
The location of the new airport in the European part of Istanbul is its great advantage due to the convenient transport infrastructure of this part of the city. In addition, along with the construction of the airport, new transport routes will be built, which should directly connect the airport with the city center. This will include road and rail lines that will bring the flow of traffic to the new, third bridge across the Bosphorus, currently under construction.
AlsoTurkish authorities presented a project for the construction of a new metro line leading to the third airport in Istanbul. It is planned that it will have a length of 33 km, which will reduce the way to the airport from different parts of the city from 40 minutes to 1 hour.
In addition, the new airport will make a significant contribution to both the economy and employment of the city's population.
Istanbul's third airport doesn't have a name yet, so it's still called İstanbul Yeni Havalimani or simply "New Airport".
To date, more than 70% of the work has been completed. The first stage of the construction of the airport has already been completed, and its opening is scheduled for October 29, 2018. The date was not chosen by chance. This is the day of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
And finally…
You can talk endlessly about all the delights of Istanbul and Turkish culture, and it's incredible that the 21st century and modern technologies give people the opportunity to fly to foreign countries and enjoy travel.
Istanbul is one of the fastest growing cities, and three airports are a clear confirmation of this. There are high hopes for the new Istanbul Airport. Despite the predicted passenger traffic (150 million passengers), it is planned to launch the airport in full operation by 2028, while increasing passenger traffic to 200 million per year! With this development, the new Istanbul Airport claims to reach a completely new level of global competitiveness. As they say, good luck!
