Istanbul Airport Arrivals (IST)

Flight Arrivals at Istanbul Airport

When arriving at Istanbul Airport, please remember to collect your luggage from the Baggage Claim area before proceeding to your choice of transfer. The airport is a large and modern airport that is well signed for easy navigation.

Smoking at Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport has a total of 13 smoking terraces on airside, 10 in the international area and 3 in the domestic. Arriving travelers do not have access to these terraces and will have to wait until through to landside and outside.

WiFi at Istanbul Airport

Wireless internet kiosks, provided by Türk Telekom, offer 1-hour free internet access. 1 out of a total of 33 kiosks is located in the international terminal’s baggage claim area and 3 are in the arrival’s meeting hall. Access the WiFi either via SMS or with a passport number.

Transfers at Istanbul Airport

Rental Cars – The rental car companies at Istanbul Airport are located on landside in the domestic area of the airport, making it convenient to both collect and drop-off a rented vehicle. It is recommended to arrange for the vehicle in advance of arriving at the airport to make sure there is a vehicle available that suits the traveler’s needs. All companies are open 24/7.

Public Transportation Buses – Havaist and IETT are the two companies that provide public transportation transfer from the airport to the city. A total of 16 different routes serving most of the areas of the city together are available and most routes, but not all, are in operation 24/7.

Havaist connects the airport with the inner and most popular areas from a tourist point of view and is mainly used by tourists. This makes it more expensive, but also more comfortable and spacious to travel in.

IETT operates routes to the areas of the city that are located more in the outskirts and is more used by locals simply because the areas are less touristy. These routes are cheaper, but the buses are less spacious and comfortable to travel in.

Buses depart from level -2, Transport Floor. More information about buses to and from Istanbul Airport.

Taxis – The official taxis are divided into orange, blue or black categories and they are found at the official taxi ranks outside International Flights Passenger and Plaza Section Domestic as well as on departures level. The color of the category indicates the tariff used by the taxi with orange being the basic fare and the black being the luxury fare with the blue in between. Fares are based on taximeters and can therefore vary a lot as it depends on the traffic at the time of the journey. Oftentimes the journey will take longer and cost more than first indicated.

It is not recommended to use any other taxi found outside the airport as they are not official and safety can therefore not be guaranteed. Cash is the official payment method as most taxis do not accept credit or debit cards, and the local currency, Turkish Lira, is the recommended currency to use as the exchange rate when using Euro or even USD will make it more expensive. More information about taxis at Istanbul Airport.

Hotel Shuttles – Hotels might offer an airport shuttle service to their guests for convenient transfer from or to the airport. These are arranged by the traveler through the hotel in advance. Hotel shuttles can be found on level -2 of the airport. See a selection of hotels near Istanbul Airport.

Pre-arranged Transfers – Taxis and other transfers can be pre-arranged by the traveler, in which case collection takes place on level -2, unless otherwise agreed upon.

Trains – There is currently no train service available at the airport, but a metro is under construction with plans to open during 2022. This line, M11, will connect the airport with the city.

A railway link to Halkali and from there to Gebze will eventually connect the airport with the Asian railway network. Information about local train services in and around Istanbul.

ATMs at Istanbul Airport

A couple of ATM/cash machines can be found in the arrivals area of the airport.

Currency Exchange at Istanbul Airport

There are two Global exchange offices available for arriving passengers.

Lost and Found at Istanbul Airport

Items lost within the Terminal (including Airport Parking areas and Security Checkpoints) will be taken to the airport’s Lost and Found Property Office located on the Departures Floor on landside or in front of Gate C3 on airside. There are signs to indicate the direction or an online operator can give consultations on how to get there when using one of the passenger information kiosks available.

A fee is added for the maintenance of the item in the office from day 2, after the first 24 hours, on bag-sized items or luggage with larger luggage being more expensive than smaller. Small items such as eyeglasses, mobile phones, wallets etc. are free of charge.

Luggage Carts at Istanbul Airport

Baggage trolleys can be found in various locations of the airport. A deposit is charged either in cash, debit card or NFC and a QR code will be distributed on a slip. This QR code is then read by the dispenser upon the return and the deposit money will be returned.