By Navitas Spa & SportsPublished: 25 August 20261 min read
At a glance
Istanbul Airport (IST) handled 84.4 million passengers in 2025, second in Europe behind London Heathrow, in a single terminal about 35 km north-west of the city centre in Arnavutköy. International transit is airside; hotels, including Hilton Istanbul Airport and its Navitas spa, are landside beyond passport control; the M11 metro connects the airport with the city.
Facts
- 84.43 million passengers in 2025 (ACI); second-busiest in Europe, eighth in the world
- Opened in 2018–19 to replace Atatürk Airport; one very large terminal
- Hub of Turkish Airlines, with connections across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas
- About 35 km north-west of the city centre; M11 metro to the city
- Landside hotels a short walk from the terminal, including Hilton Istanbul Airport
Airside and landside
International connections stay airside — gates, lounges, shops. To reach anything landside, including the hotels and the spa, you pass through passport control and enter Türkiye. Domestic passengers and arriving travellers are landside by default.
Connection times
The terminal is large; allow time between distant gates. For a landside excursion — the spa, a meal at the hotel — count passport control both ways plus your airline's security buffer, typically two hours before an international departure.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the city?
About 35 km; the M11 metro and taxis connect it. Journey times vary by destination and traffic.
Is there a hotel inside the terminal?
There is an in-terminal hotel with airside and landside sections; Hilton Istanbul Airport is the full-service hotel a short walk away on the landside.