Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararası Havalimanı
IATA: SAW – ICAO: LTFJ
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	HEAŞ (Airport Management & Aeronautical Industries Inc)
Operator	Malaysia Airports
Serves	Istanbul, Turkey
Location	Pendik
Hub for	Pegasus Airlines Turkish Airlines Borajet SunExpress
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Elevation AMSL	312 ft / 95 m
Coordinates	40°53′54″N 29°18′33″E / 40.89833°N 29.30917°ECoordinates: 40°53′54″N 29°18′33″E / 40.89833°N 29.30917°E
Website	sabihagokcen.aero
Map
SAW Location of airport in Turkey
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 3,000 9,842 Concrete
Statistics (2015)
Passengers 28,112,438
Source: Turkish AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (IATA: SAW, ICAO: LTFJ) is one of the two international airports serving İstanbul, the largest city in Turkey, the other being Istanbul Atatürk Airport. Located 35 km (22 mi) southeast^[1] of central İstanbul, it is on the Asian side of the bi-continental city and serves as the hub for Pegasus Airlines as well as a base for Turkish Airlines and Borajet. The facility is named after Sabiha Gökçen, the first female combat pilot in Turkey.

Overview

The airport was built because Atatürk International Airport (on the European side) was not large enough to meet the booming passenger demands (both domestic and international). In June 2007, Turkish conglomerate Limak Holding, India's GMR Group and Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad (MAHB) consortium gained the contract for upgrading and maintaining the airport. In mid-2008, ground was broken to upgrade the international terminal to handle 25 million passengers annually. The new terminal was inaugurated on 31 October 2009.

SAW's international terminal capacity originally was 3 million passengers per year and the domestic terminal capacity was 0.5 million passengers per year. In 2010, Sabiha Gökçen airport handled 11,129,472 passengers, a 71% increase compared to 2009.^[2] The airport was planning (in 2011) to host 25 million passengers by 2023,^[3][4] but handled more than 28 million passengers in 2015 already.

In September 2010, the airport was voted the World's Best Airport at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London and received the award.^[5] The other awards received by the airport in 2010 were: Turkey’s Most Successful Tourism Investment 2010, the highly commended award from Routes Europe and the airport is honored with Airport Traffic Growth Award by Airline News & Network Analysis web site anna.aero.^[6]

Terminals

The new terminal building of 25 million annual passenger capacity conducts domestic and international flights under one roof.

The features of and the services at the new terminal of the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and its outlying buildings include:

• a four-storey car park with a capacity of about 4,718 vehicles + 72 bus (3.836 indoors and 882 + 72 bus outdoors).
• a four-storey hotel with 128 rooms, adjacent to the terminal and with separate entrances at air and ground sides.
• 112 check-in, 24 online check-in counters
• a VIP building & apron viewing CIP halls with business lounges
• Multi Aircraft Ramp System (MARS), allowing simultaneous service to 8 aircraft with large fuselages (IATA code E) or 16 middle-sized fuselage aircraft (IATA code C).
• a 400 m² conference center
• 5,000 m² food court, for cafés and restaurants belonging the leading food & beverage brands
• a duty-free shopping area, with a ground of 4,500 square-meters; with shops at international standards.

The airport's cargo terminal has a capacity of 90,000 tons per year and is equipped with 18 cold storage depots.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Aegean Airlines	Seasonal: Heraklion, Mykonos[7]
Air Algérie	Algiers,[8] Oran
Air Arabia	Sharjah
Air Arabia Maroc	Casablanca, Tangier
Air Manas	Bishkek
AtlasGlobal	Sharjah[9] Seasonal: Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Ercan, Izmir, Jeddah, Mykonos
AZALJet	Baku[10]
Azerbaijan Airlines	Baku
Borajet	Adana, Ankara, Cologne/Bonn, Çanakkale, Edremit, Izmir, Tokat, Uşak Seasonal: Dole, Gökçeada, Ibiza (begins 30 June 2016),[11] Mykonos, Rhodes, Skopje
Corendon Dutch Airlines	Amsterdam, Eindhoven
Emirates	Dubai-International
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi (begins 1 July 2016)[12][13]
FlyBaghdad	Baghdad,[14] Najaf[15]
flydubai	Dubai-International
Flynas	Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh
Freebird Airlines	Seasonal charter: Birmingham, London Stansted
Germania	Charter: Hannover[16]
Germanwings	Seasonal: Berlin-Tegel, Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, Stuttgart
Jordan Aviation	Amman-Marka
Norwegian Air Shuttle	Oslo-Gardermoen
Pegasus Airlines	Adana, Almaty, Amasya/Merzifon, Amsterdam, Ankara, Antalya, Athens, Baghdad,[17] Bahrain, Baku, Balıkesir/Edremit, Barcelona, Basel/Mulhouse, Batman, Beirut, Belgrade, Bergamo,[18] Berlin-Schönefeld, Bishkek, Bodrum, Bologna, Bucharest, Budapest, Charleroi, Cologne/Bonn, Copenhagen, Dalaman, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Doha, Dubai-International, Düsseldorf, Elazığ, Erbil,[17] Ercan, Erzincan, Erzurum, Frankfurt, Gaziantep, Gazipaşa, Geneva, Hamburg, Hatay, Hurghada, Izmir, Kahramanmaraş, Kastamonu,[19] Kars, Kayseri, Kharkiv, Konya, Krasnodar, Kuwait, London-Gatwick,[20] London-Stansted, Lviv, Lyon,[21] Madrid, Malatya, Mardin, Marseille, Milan-Malpensa,[22] Moscow-Domodedovo, Munich, Muş, Nevşehir, Nice,[21] Nuremberg, Oslo-Gardermoen, Ordu-Giresun, Paris-Orly, Prague, Pristina, Qabala,[23] Rome-Fiumicino, Saint-Étienne, Samsun, Şanlıurfa, Sarajevo, Sharm el-Sheikh, Sivas, Skopje, Sochi,[24] Stockholm-Arlanda, Stuttgart, Tbilisi, Tehran-Imam Khomeini, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Tirana, Trabzon, Van, Vienna, Zaporizhia,[25] Zürich Seasonal: Hannover, Münster/Osnabrück
Qatar Airways	Doha
Syphax Airlines	Sfax
SunExpress	Antalya, Izmir Seasonal: Stuttgart
SunExpress Deutschland	Dortmund[26]
Transavia	Eindhoven
Transavia France	Paris-Orly[27]
Turkish Airlines	Abu Dhabi (begins 27 June 2016),[28] Amsterdam, Ankara, Antalya, Baghdad,[29] Bahrain,[30] Baku, Barcelona,[31] Basra,[32] Berlin-Tegel, Bodrum, Brussels, Cologne/Bonn,[31] Copenhagen (begins 30 May 2016),[33] Dalaman, Dubai-International,[34] Düsseldorf, Erbil,[35] Ercan, Frankfurt, Izmir, Jeddah,[36] Kiev-Boryspil, Kuwait, London-Gatwick, Milan-Malpensa, Munich, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Riyadh,[37] Rome-Fiumicino, Stockholm-Arlanda,[38] Stuttgart, Tbilisi, Tehran-Imam Khomeini, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion,[39] Venice,[40] Vienna
Turkish Airlines operated by AnadoluJet	Adana, Ankara, Bodrum, Dalaman, Diyarbakır, Edremit, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kars, Kayseri, Mardin, Nevşehir, Ordu-Giresun, Samsun, Sivas, Trabzon, Van
Wizz Air	Budapest

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Buraq Air	Misrata
Cargolux	Amman-Queen Alia, Luxembourg
MNG Airlines	Leipzig, Barcelona
MyCargo Airlines	Baku, Beirut, Frankfurt, Liege
Silk Road Cargo	Tashkent
Silk Way Airlines	Baku
TNT Airways	Liege
ULS Airlines Cargo	Beirut, Misrata, Tallinn, Tripoli
West Atlantic	London-Heathrow

Statistics

Terminal building

Check-in area

Apron view

İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport passenger traffic statistics^[41]

Year	Domestic	% change	International	% change	Total	% change
2016 (Mar.)	4,530,889	24%	2,170,340	13%	6,701,229	20%
2015	18,535,463	24%	9,576,975	12%	28,112,438	20%
2014	15,008,600	26%	8,499,541	29%	23,508,141	27%
2013	11,947,424	23%	6,694,418	35%	18,641,842	27%
2012	9,486,469	9%	5,000,773	13%	14,487,242	10%
2011	8,704,249	16%	4,420,421	20%	13,124,670	17%
2010	7,435,158	65%	3,694,314	84%	11,129,472	71%
2009	4,547,673	63%	2,092,285	33%	6,639,958	52%
2008	2,764,856	9%	1,516,337	27%	4,281,193	15%
2007	2,528,549	17%	1,191,946	56%	3,720,495	28%
2006	2,153,561	285%	762,893	66%	2,916,454	186%
2005	559,824	5,323%	459,922	96%	1,019,746	315%
2004	10,323	265%	235,278	52%	245,601	56%
2003	2,826	–	154,346	–	157,172	–

Sabiha Gökçen passenger totals, 2005–2015 (millions)

Ground transport

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is connected to the city of Istanbul and that city's wider metropolitan area through a number of transport corridors.

Rail

The airport is located 14 km from the town of Pendik's railway and sea-taxi stations but a connection via Marmaray is planned.

Metro

The M4 metro line is being extended towards the airport. The current terminus at Kartal can be reached by a short bus or taxi ride.

Shuttlebuses and coaches

Shuttlebuses serve Taksim and Kadikoy and there are coaches to nearby towns and cities.

Car and taxi

The main airport complex is reachable by car from the E80 (Trans-European Motorway) which passes through the Istanbul Metropolitan Area.

Accidents and incidents

• On 23 December 2015 at approximately 2:00 AM, explosions were reported to have occurred in a parked Pegasus Airlines aircraft, killing one cleaner and wounding another inside the plane. Five nearby planes were reported to be damaged as well. The operations were reported to continue normally soon after, however with heightened security measured in place.^[42] Three days later, it was reported that "PKK-affiliated terrorist group". Kurdistan Freedom Falcons had organized the attack.^[43]

References

1. EAD Basic. Ead.eurocontrol.int. Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
2. 2010 airport statistics. Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
3. İstanbul's 2nd Airport To Reach 25 Million Passengers By 2023. Nasdaq.com (2011-05-24). Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
4. Sabiha Gökçen'de rekor yolcu sayısı. Hurriyet.com.tr. Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
5. Sabiha Gökçen dünyanın en iyi havalimanı seçildi – Hürriyet Ekonomi. Hurriyet.com.tr. Retrieved on 2011-08-01.
6. "EURO ANNIES 2011: Airport Awards". anna.aero Airline Network News & Analysis. Retrieved 19 May 2011. In December 2013, MAHB acquired GMR's 40 percent stake in a deal worthed 225 million euros.
7. "Aegean Airlines - Φθηνά αεροπορικά εισιτήρια - Κράτηση εισιτηρίων". el.aegeanair.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
8. "Air Algerie Adds Algiers – Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Service from late-March 2016". airlineroute.net.
9. "AtlasGlobal Adds Istanbul - Sharjah Route in S15". airlineroute.net. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
10. "Azerbaijan Airlines Launches Low-cost AZALJet Service from late-March 2016". airlineroute.net.
11. "Borajet Adds Istanbul – Ibiza Service in S16". airlineroute.net.
12. "Etihad Airways expands Istanbul services with new Sabiha Gokcen operation for 2016". Etihad Global.
13. "ETIHAD Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Service from July 2016". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
14. "From Baghdad to Istanbul". flybaghdad.net.
15. "From Najaf to Istanbul". flybaghdad.net.
16. "Page Redirection" (PDF). flygermania.de.
17. "Pegasus Expands Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Iraq Routes from Sep 2015". airlineroute.net.
18. "Pegasus Launches Flights to Italy!". Pegasus Airlines. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
19. "Pegasus Airlines Adds New Domestic Routes in S15". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
20. "Pegasus to Begin Istanbul - London Gatwick Flight from May 2015". airlineroute.net. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
21. "Pegasus Airlines Adds New French Routes in S15". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
22. "Pegasus Airlines to Start Milan Malpensa Service from late-March 2015". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
23. "Pegasus Airlines Adds Istanbaul – Gabala Service from mid-March 2016". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
24. "Pegasus Airlines Adds Adler/Sochi Service in March 2015". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
25. "Лоу-кост Pegasus запустит рейсы Запорожье-Стамбул". avianews.com. Aviation Today. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
26. "SunExpress Germany to Add Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Dortmund Service from Nov 2014". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
27. "Transavia France Expands Paris Orly Service with A320 Operation from April 2014". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
28. "Turkish Airlines Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Abu Dhabi Flights from late-Jun 2016". airlineroute.net.
29. "Turkish Airlines Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Baghdad Route from late-Oct 2015". airlineroute.net.
30. "TUIfly Adds Hamburg – Salzburg Service from Dec 2015". airlineroute.net.
31. "Turkish Airlines S15 Europe Service Increase as of 23DEC14". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
32. "Turkish Airlines Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Basra Service from Mar 2016". airlineroute.net.
33. Andreas Krog. "CPH-rute til Istanbuls anden lufthavn". CHECK-IN.dk.
34. "Turkish Airlines Expands Dubai Service from late-Dec 2015". airlineroute.net.
35. "Turkish Airlines Launches a New Route from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen to Erbil" (Press release). Turkish Airlines. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
36. "Turkish Airlines Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Jeddah Service in S16". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
37. "Turkish Airlines Expands Riyadh Service in S16". airlineroute.net. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
38. "Turkish Airlines Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Scandinavia Service in S16". airlineroute.net.
39. L, J (9 September 2013). "Turkish Airlines Expands Tel Aviv Operation in W13". Routesonline / Routes. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
40. "Turkish Airlines Adds Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen – Venice Service from late-Aug 2015". airlineroute.net.
41. DHMİ Genel Müdürlüğü. "Devlet Hava Meydanları İşletmesi Genel Müdürlüğü". dhmi.gov.tr. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
42. Daren Butler (23 December 2015). "Suspected bomb kills one at Istanbul airport, investigation launched". Reuters UK.
43. "PKK-affiliated terrorist group claims responsibility for Istanbul airport attack". DailySabah. 26 December 2015.

External links

Media related to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Current weather for LTFJ at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for SAW at Aviation Safety Network