ISTANBUL SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT review : 30 July 2008 : by M Dil

Customer Rating : 2/5

I regularly fly through SAW airport, for domestic flights especially to Izmir. The airport has a car parking sufficient enough to capacity, however the desk for payment is with one clerk in an unfriendly and rude manner. After having a 1 hour flight, you might face with long lines before the payment desk, if you have the chance for on-line check-in, remember to check-in to the front seats, so that you will be able to get on the bus and pick-up an easy location to reach the airport first and if lucky enough, you will have a front place in the payment line.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport by Lorna Watson

10 June 2008   Customer Rating :

Probably the worst airport experience I've ever had on departure. Ridiculously overpriced cafe (the airside section of which is upstairs, no escalator or lift), duty free shop was closed. We were almost forcibly frogmarched into very narrow crowded boarding queues for our Easyjet departure, over 1/2 hour before the incoming flight had even landed. Eventually we were loaded onto a crowded bus, which pulled out onto the tarmac, then the driver got out, switched off the engine and left us sweltering (it was a very hot day) for 5 or 10 minutes - only when a riot almost ensued, did he get back in the bus and switch on the air conditioning. Our arrival and immigration however was very smooth, with good transport connections. The E10 bus from the airport to Kadikoy ferryport then ferry to Eminonou is a very cheap and pleasant way to transfer if you are heading for the Sultanahmet area.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport by David Bole

20 June 2007   Customer Rating :

A bad experience with this new and quite small airport. On arrival we had to wait at immigration control and after a long wait it turned out that we were sold the wrong tourist visas. The counter for visas was already closed when immigration officers noticed wrong visas so we had to wait for the counter to open again. Oon the positive side - bus connections to Istanbul are cheap and very efficient. On departure: only a small part of departure lounge was open and about 300 hundred people had to wait in a small hall with about 50 seats!! People were lying and sitting on the floor and it was not very pleasant. The duty free shop is a comedy (expensive and virtually empty) and the only bar is overpriced.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport by Ahmed Al-zuhairi

20 March 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

This is the airport used by Easyjet. Altogether there are about 10 flights a day. The airport is 1 hour by car from Istanbul city centre and will cost you about £30 by taxi. The airport terminal itself is very small. There is only 1 duty free shop and the prices are ridiculously high. The drinks as previous people mentioned are ridiculously high. Very basic airport and struggled to spend 1 hour waiting for boarding.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport by Firat Sevil

31 August 2005

This is a new, modern but a small airport. Passenger amenities could be improved. I suggest you take your own drink with you - a can of Pepsi costs 20 Turkish Lira, which is around GBP9-00.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport by Hakan Ersoy

28 July 2005

Turkish Airlines fly some domestic destinations from this place. Germanwings and Corendon Airlines fly international. Check in etc are fast, but the domestic terminal could get crowded sometimes due to its small size. The airport has a good future and will be most likely low cost paradise for Istanbul people and tourists. But they need to expand the domestic terminal before it gets very crowded.

IMPORTANT NOTE