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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

İstanbul Airport

Istanbul, İstanbul Province (Turkey)

IATA: IST ICAO: LTFM

Longest Active Runway

13,451 ft

4,100 meters

Field Elevation

325 ft

99 m MSL

Runway Inventory

6 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

41.2749°, 28.7321°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

Ranking Universes Guide →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

#40 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#72 of 7558

Top 0.9% percentile worldwide

National Standing (Turkey)

#1 in TR

#1 of 66 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+34.5%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 Statistical Statement: İstanbul Airport's longest active runway measures 13,451 ft (4,100 m). Within RunwayFacts' published index of 650 aerodromes, it ranks #40. Across the broader global dataset of 7558 commercial facilities, it ranks #72 worldwide (Top 0.9%) and #1 nationally in Turkey.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: İstanbul Airport (IST)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Istanbul Airport was conceived as a mega-hub bridging Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its six operational runways (including the 9,250 ft crosswind strip 09/27) allow multiple independent simultaneous departures and arrivals across distinct vector quadrants, drastically cutting airborne holding times compared to the retired Atatürk Airport. Runway 17L/35R extends to 13,451 ft, providing abundant safety margins for heavily laden cargo and passenger widebody operations navigating high Black Sea seasonal gust dynamics.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Six active runways comprising five north-south parallels (16L/34R, 16R/34L, 17L/35R, 17R/35L, 18/36) and one east-west crosswind strip 09/27 (9,250 ft / 2,819 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in April 2019 following an immense multi-billion euro greenfield construction north of Istanbul along the Black Sea, replacing historical Atatürk Airport (ISL/LTBA) as the primary hub of Turkish Airlines.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Constructed outside urban sprawl to bypass the tight slot caps and single-runway dependencies of Sabiha Gökçen (SAW, 33 NM southeast on the Asian side).

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Northern coastal exposure to Black Sea cold fronts generates heavy winter snowfalls and low-level crosswind turbulence, countered by extensive de-icing pads and CAT IIIb instrument guidance.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM Turkey) · State Airports Authority (DHMI) Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Comparative aviation metrics evaluated against regional and global physical operational criteria.

ICAO Code 4E / 4F Super-Heavy

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Elevation & Atmospheric Density

Lowland / Coastal Basin Aerodrome

İstanbul Airport operates at a surveyed field elevation of 325 ft (99 m MSL) in Istanbul. Situated in low-lying coastal terrain, the aerodrome benefits from dense ambient atmospheric pressure, maximizing turbine engine thrust and wing lift efficiency across all departure vectors.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

2 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

Constructed outside urban sprawl to bypass the tight slot caps and single-runway dependencies of Sabiha Gökçen (SAW, 33 NM southeast on the Asian side). Within a 100 NM radius, the facility coordinates airspace flows with 2 qualifying commercial aerodromes, with Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) located 34.5 NM away.

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Fleet Compatibility & Ground Roll

Primary Runway: 13,451 ft (4,100 m)

İstanbul Airport's active flight strips comprise 17R/35L (13,451 ft), 17L/35R (13,451 ft), 16R/34L (12,303 ft), 16L/34R (12,303 ft), 18/36 (10,039 ft), 09/27 (9,250 ft). With a longest active threshold of 13,451 ft (4,100 m), the aerodrome satisfies unrestricted long-haul takeoff and landing distance requirements for heavy twin-aisle and four-engine widebodies (ICAO Code 4E/4F).

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
17R/35L	13,451 ft (4100m)	147 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
17L/35R	13,451 ft (4100m)	196 ft (60m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
16R/34L	12,303 ft (3750m)	196 ft (60m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
16L/34R	12,303 ft (3750m)	147 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
18/36	10,039 ft (3060m)	148 ft (45m)	`Concrete (CON)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
09/27	9,250 ft (2819m)	148 ft (45m)	`Concrete (CONC)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (Pendik, Istanbul)	`SAW`	34.5 NM (63.9 km)	11,614 ft	✅ Lighted
Burgas Airport (Burgas)	`BOJ`	94.9 NM (175.8 km)	10,499 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Data Provenance & Verification Metadata

Source Dataset: OurAirports Open Aviation Database

Snapshot Version: 2026-09-01

Dataset Integrity: Cryptographic SHA-256 Checksum Verified & Fail-Closed Schema Inspected

Source Verification: Source-reported registry data

Read Complete Methodology & Verification Protocol → GET /api/airport/ist.json ↗