Airport Guide
Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul
Europe's ninth-busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers, Ataturk International Airport serves the European side of Istanbul.
As well as serving as a base for several Turkish airlines, the airport also welcomes dozens of other airlines, providing links to numerous destinations both in Europe and Asia.
Istanbul's primary international airport dates back to the dawn of commercial aviation, with the first flights taking off in 1924.
In 1931 it was put on the map as it welcomed aviation pioneers Russell Boardman and John Polando as they completed a record-breaking non-stop flight from New York City.
However, the next few decades saw only relatively modest growth and it wasn't really until the 1980s, after it had been named in honour of the founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, that the airport as it is known today came into being.
Indeed, most of the current facilities are just a few years old.
The International Terminal, for example, was completed in 2001, while even the older domestic terminal only dates back around 30 years.
As of the autumn of 2010, plans are in place to build a new air traffic control tower, expand the international terminal further, and to build another runway.
Passengers arriving into Ataturk International Airport and wanting to head into the centre of Istanbul have a number of options open to them.
Most passengers using public transport hop on the light rail service connecting the airport with the Aksaray district of the city, with this link passing through a number of the most popular points within the western side of the city, including the main intercity bus terminal.
Additionally, airport shuttle services regularly depart from outside the terminal buildings and whisk travellers into the heart of Istanbul as well as to the city's main ferry terminals.
Alternatively, it's also possible to take a slower but cheaper municipal bus, or a quicker, pricier, taxi.
As of October 2010, Ataturk International is the ninth-busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger numbers, dealing with 30 million travellers a year across its two terminals.
By far the biggest presence on the tarmac is that of Turkish Airlines, with the national carrier operating services to dozens of destinations within Turkey and abroad.
Domestically, the flag-carrier jets to destinations including Bodrum, Dalaman, Denizil, Hatay, Malatya and Sinos.
Additionally, Turkish Airlines offers a range of international flights, including those to destinations such as Abu habi, Alexandria, Barcelona, Birmingham, Chicago, Damascus, Dublin, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Lisbon, London, Manchester, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Vienna and Washington.
At the same time, Turkish airlines Onur Air and Atlasjet also offer direct connections to a host of European and Asian destinations.
Among the European national carriers operating services between Istanbul and their respective capitals are Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Finnair, KLM, Iberia, Lufthansa and SAS.
Meanwhile, Emirates, Egypt Air, Etihad, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways and Mehan Air are among those offering flights to the Middle East region, while Malaysia Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines head further east, and Delta Air Lines flies to New York.
As well as serving as a base for several Turkish airlines, the airport also welcomes dozens of other airlines, providing links to numerous destinations both in Europe and Asia.
History of Ataturk International Airport
Istanbul's primary international airport dates back to the dawn of commercial aviation, with the first flights taking off in 1924.
In 1931 it was put on the map as it welcomed aviation pioneers Russell Boardman and John Polando as they completed a record-breaking non-stop flight from New York City.
However, the next few decades saw only relatively modest growth and it wasn't really until the 1980s, after it had been named in honour of the founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, that the airport as it is known today came into being.
Indeed, most of the current facilities are just a few years old.
The International Terminal, for example, was completed in 2001, while even the older domestic terminal only dates back around 30 years.
As of the autumn of 2010, plans are in place to build a new air traffic control tower, expand the international terminal further, and to build another runway.
Travelling to Ataturk International Airport
Passengers arriving into Ataturk International Airport and wanting to head into the centre of Istanbul have a number of options open to them.
Most passengers using public transport hop on the light rail service connecting the airport with the Aksaray district of the city, with this link passing through a number of the most popular points within the western side of the city, including the main intercity bus terminal.
Additionally, airport shuttle services regularly depart from outside the terminal buildings and whisk travellers into the heart of Istanbul as well as to the city's main ferry terminals.
Alternatively, it's also possible to take a slower but cheaper municipal bus, or a quicker, pricier, taxi.
Airlines Flying from Ataturk International Airport
As of October 2010, Ataturk International is the ninth-busiest airport in Europe in terms of passenger numbers, dealing with 30 million travellers a year across its two terminals.
By far the biggest presence on the tarmac is that of Turkish Airlines, with the national carrier operating services to dozens of destinations within Turkey and abroad.
Domestically, the flag-carrier jets to destinations including Bodrum, Dalaman, Denizil, Hatay, Malatya and Sinos.
Additionally, Turkish Airlines offers a range of international flights, including those to destinations such as Abu habi, Alexandria, Barcelona, Birmingham, Chicago, Damascus, Dublin, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Lisbon, London, Manchester, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Vienna and Washington.
At the same time, Turkish airlines Onur Air and Atlasjet also offer direct connections to a host of European and Asian destinations.
Among the European national carriers operating services between Istanbul and their respective capitals are Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Finnair, KLM, Iberia, Lufthansa and SAS.
Meanwhile, Emirates, Egypt Air, Etihad, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways and Mehan Air are among those offering flights to the Middle East region, while Malaysia Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines head further east, and Delta Air Lines flies to New York.