Sabiha Gokcen International Airport SAWLTFJ

Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) is Istanbul’s Asian-side secondary airport in Pendik. For frequent flyers, think of it as a busy low-cost and regional gateway rather than a full-service global alliance hub: Pegasus is the dominant home carrier, AJet also uses SAW as a major base, and Turkish/Star Alliance presence is much more limited here than at Istanbul Airport (IST). The passenger operation is in one main terminal building with domestic and international areas under the same roof, so there is no terminal-to-terminal bus to plan around; the friction in connections is immigration, security, baggage reclaim, and whether your itinerary is protected. The most reliable city link is the M4 metro to Kadikoy, with onward ferry/metro/tram options to the European-side historic center or Taksim; road transfers can be faster off-peak but are exposed to Istanbul traffic. For layovers, SAW is workable rather than luxurious: there are Plaza Premium and Turkish Airlines CIP lounges, Priority Pass-listed Plaza Premium options and Kepler rest pods, plus an airport hotel/Kepler cabins for longer waits.

Timezone: Europe/Istanbul

Airport lounges

Lounge access is reference info; commission never ranks.

Official info

Official site

https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/

General

+90 444 3 729

Customer service

+90 444 3 729

As of 2026-06-20 — confirm with the airport.

Airport facts

ICAO

LTFJ

Elevation

312 ft

Scheduled service

Yes

Runways

2

Longest runway

11614 ft

Terminals

To the city

• Metro → Kadıköy · 52 min · M4 Kadıköy-Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı line; operates 06:00-00:00; connects at Kadıköy to tram/ferries/sea lines, at Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Marmaray, and at Ünalan to Metrobüs.
• HAVABUS shuttle → Kadıköy and Taksim · Direct shuttle connection; buses depart from in front of terminal exits on the arrivals floor.

Bus / coach

Public bus routes listed include E3, E10, 16S, MR60, 130H, 132H, 122H, SG-1, SG-2 and UM73; HAVABUS serves Kadıköy and Taksim.

Taxi

Round-the-clock taxi service is available; official taxi contacts listed as 0 216 588 12 35 and 0 552 552 4 552.

Train / metro

M4 metro runs between Kadıköy and Sabiha Gökçen Airport; connections include Marmaray at Ayrılık Çeşmesi and high-speed train access via IETT buses from Pendik station.

Airport services

Cities served

Hotels near the airport