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Istanbul · Private aviation

Private Jet Charter to Istanbul

Istanbul has three practical business-aviation gateways. Atatürk (ISL, LTBA) is now a business-aviation-only field, carrying more than 70% of Istanbul's private-jet movements. Istanbul Airport (IST) offers 4,100 m runways with a dedicated IGA general-aviation terminal. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side is fully coordinated with slots and mandatory handling.

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Atatürk anchors Istanbul business aviation at 12 km from the city with two GA FBOs, while Istanbul Airport offers 4,100 m runways for worldwide ULR departures and Sabiha Gökçen covers the Asian side.

Where you can depart

Istanbul private-jet airports

We charter from every business-aviation airport in the Istanbul area. Choose the right one for your route, aircraft, and ground plans.

Istanbul ISL
ISL
İstanbul Atatürk Airport
LTBA
Bakırköy, roughly 12 km from Istanbul centre
Two full-service business-aviation FBOs with customs and crew facilities
Runway
2,580 m
Operating hours
H24, tower H24, customs available
Best for
Light jet · Midsize · Super-mid · Heavy jet

Business-aviation-only airport since scheduled passenger service ceased on 6 April 2019 and cargo moved out on 5 February 2022. Slots required, corporate flights PPR, handling mandatory. One former runway was lost to an emergency hospital and national garden.

FBOs on-field: Gozen Air Istanbul FBO, Bilen Air Services / ExecuJet
Charter from ISL →
Istanbul IST
IST
İstanbul Airport
LTFM
Roughly 35 km from Istanbul centre, about 45 min to downtown
IGA General Aviation Terminal with dedicated GA handling
Runway
4,100 m
Operating hours
H24
Best for
Midsize · Super-mid · Heavy jet · Ultra-long

Two 4,100 m runways plus multiple 3,000+ m runways allow fully loaded ULR departures anywhere in the world. Slots required, handling not mandatory. IGA General Aviation Terminal is promoted for private-jet traffic.

FBOs on-field: Bilen Air Services / ExecuJet
Charter from IST →
Istanbul SAW
SAW
Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
LTFJ
Pendik, roughly 32 km from Istanbul centre on the Asian side
Two competing FBOs with customs and slot coordination
Runway
3,540 m
Operating hours
H24, tower H24, customs available
Best for
Light jet · Midsize · Super-mid · Heavy jet · Ultra-long

IATA Level 3 fully coordinated. All flights PPR, handling mandatory. 3,540 m primary runway plus 3,000 m parallel. Best access to the Asian side of Istanbul.

FBOs on-field: Gozen Air Services, Bilen Air Services / ExecuJet
Charter from SAW →
Popular routes

Frequently chartered from Istanbul

Indicative one-way pricing on the most-flown corridors. Real quotes vary with aircraft availability, empty-legs, and airport fees.

Which aircraft, from where

Aircraft options from Istanbul

The right jet is the one that fits your route, your passengers, and your ground plans. Here's how the classes stack up for Istanbul departures.

Pilatus PC-12 turboprop parked on an alpine airstrip Turboprop

Short strips, remote runways

Ideal for regional legs, unpaved strips, and mountain airfields where a jet cannot land.

Rangeup to 2 hr · 1,900 km
Max passengers8
Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350
from €1,900/hr
Embraer Phenom 300 light jet on approach Light jet

Short-hop & regional

Ideal for hops across Europe or short domestic US routes. Two-hour range, seven-seat cabin.

Rangeup to 3 hr · 2,700 km
Max passengers7
Phenom 300, Citation CJ3+
from €3,800/hr
Cessna Citation Latitude midsize jet in flight Midsize jet

Stand-up cabin, longer legs

Stand-up cabin, real luggage capacity, transcontinental US-capable.

Rangeup to 5 hr · 4,600 km
Max passengers9
Citation Latitude, Praetor 600
from €5,400/hr
Bombardier Challenger 350 super-midsize jet on the ramp Super-midsize

Transcontinental range

Coast-to-coast US or London to Dubai without a fuel stop, at Mach 0.83.

Rangeup to 7 hr · 6,500 km
Max passengers10
Challenger 350, Longitude
from €7,200/hr
Gulfstream G550 heavy jet on final approach Heavy jet

Full galley, private stateroom

Wide cabin, full galley, forward and aft lavatories, up to 16 seats in club configuration.

Rangeup to 12 hr · 11,000 km
Max passengers14
Gulfstream G550, Global 6000
from €11,800/hr
Gulfstream G650ER ultra-long-range jet climbing out Ultra-long-range

Global, non-stop

Non-stop New York to Sydney, Dubai to Los Angeles, London to Buenos Aires — real staterooms, standing shower on select tails.

Rangeup to 15 hr · 14,000 km
Max passengers16
Gulfstream G650ER, Global 7500
from €14,900/hr
All-in pricing

What the quote includes, and what it doesn't

Every quote we issue is fully-loaded: block time, crew, fuel, standard catering, and handling. These are the exceptions where extras apply.

Included in every quote

  • Aircraft charter from block-off to block-on
  • Crew, fuel at contracted operator rates
  • Standard catering with snacks and drinks
  • Landing, parking, and scheduled-turn handling at the arrival FBO
  • Standard insurance, navigation charges, and permits
  • Short positioning within the same country when standard
  • JetAlto itinerary coordination and operator quote comparison

Charged separately (when they apply)

  • Local taxes, VAT, and government charges where applicable
  • Ground transfers and upgraded catering
  • Overnight crew accommodation when the itinerary requires it
  • Extended peak-week or event-week parking
  • Empty repositioning outside the same-country standard corridor
  • Turkish VAT and airport service charges where applicable
  • Slot coordination fees at Sabiha Gökçen
  • Bosphorus helicopter transfer between airport and hotel
Chartering from Istanbul

What to know before you book

Empty legs

Repositioning flights from Istanbul

Istanbul is the dominant feeder into Turkey's summer resort market. During the eight weeks to 30 July 2026, Istanbul supplied 258 of Bodrum's arrivals, roughly 25% of the total, several times the next-largest source city. Outbound legs to Bodrum, Dalaman and Antalya routinely return empty toward Istanbul. Turkish operator boards confirm this shape, publishing Istanbul to Bodrum, Istanbul to Dalaman, Istanbul to Dubai and Moscow to Istanbul repositioning legs. Best value windows are Sunday and Monday returns from Bodrum in June through September.

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Add your preferred route and dates in the request form. We'll monitor live empty-leg inventory for you and email as matches appear.

FAQ

Charter from Istanbul, questions we get

Which airport should I use in Istanbul for a private jet?
Atatürk (ISL) is the default for most business missions, business-aviation-only since 2019 and 12 km from the city. Istanbul Airport (IST) is preferred for ultra-long-range departures. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) covers the Asian side.
Why did Atatürk become business-aviation only?
Scheduled passenger service ceased on 6 April 2019 when Istanbul Airport opened, and cargo moved out on 5 February 2022. The field is now dedicated to private, business and state flights.
How busy is Istanbul for business aviation?
Türkiye recorded 27,472 business-aviation movements across 66 airports in 2024, with Atatürk carrying more than 70% of Istanbul's private-jet traffic.
Can I fly a Global 7500 from Istanbul to New York nonstop?
Yes, from Istanbul Airport (IST). Its 4,100 m runways impose no takeoff limit even for a fully loaded ultra-long-range jet.
Do I need slots for Sabiha Gökçen?
Yes. Sabiha Gökçen is IATA Level 3 fully coordinated, all flights are PPR, and handling is mandatory.
What is the best empty-leg corridor from Istanbul?
Bodrum and the Turkish riviera in June to September, plus Moscow in both directions year-round. Istanbul supplied about 25% of Bodrum's summer 2026 arrivals.
How long is the transfer from Atatürk to the city centre?
About 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Bosphorus helicopter transfer is available for Sabiha Gökçen arrivals on the Asian side.
Which FBO should I use at Atatürk?
Gozen Air Istanbul FBO and Bilen Air Services / ExecuJet compete on the field. Both offer full customs, crew facilities and hangar access.
Market notes

On chartering from Istanbul

Istanbul is a rare case where the closest airport to the city is now dedicated to private aviation. Atatürk was one of Europe's largest passenger hubs until scheduled service moved to Istanbul Airport in 2019 and cargo departed in 2022. What remains is a 2,580 m runway, 12 km from the city, with two full-service FBOs and H24 customs, carrying more than 70% of Istanbul's business-jet traffic. That combination is difficult to replicate anywhere else in Europe: a former primary airport now optimised for private movements. For most business missions Atatürk is the default. Istanbul Airport takes over when the mission needs 4,100 m of runway.

The Bodrum corridor defines Istanbul's summer season. Weekly business-jet movements at Bodrum rose from 107 in the week of 4 to 10 June 2026 to 418 in the week of 23 to 30 July, roughly 291% growth over the starting week. Istanbul supplied 24.5% of those arrivals, several times the next-largest source city. That produces predictable Sunday and Monday empty legs returning to Istanbul from Bodrum, Dalaman and Antalya, priced 40 to 60% below on-demand rates. If the itinerary can flex a day, the empty leg usually pays for a category upgrade. If the itinerary cannot flex, on-demand pricing during July and August is at annual peak.

The international network is diplomatic and corporate rather than leisure. London, Paris, Moscow, Dubai and Riyadh are the recurring corridors. London to Istanbul is a 3 hour super-mid sector from Le Bourget or Luton. Moscow to Istanbul is 2h 26m midsize. Dubai to Istanbul is 3h 49m heavy. Each of these produces reposition supply in one direction or the other depending on the week. The Nice to Istanbul corridor is a summer specialty, with heavy Riviera-to-Bodrum traffic staging through Istanbul. Athens is the shortest international sector at 1 hour on a light jet, functionally a shuttle.

JetAlto sizes Istanbul quotes around the airport more than the aircraft. For a corporate London mission we default to Atatürk with a super-mid, note the 2,580 m runway performance check, and quote the ground transfer. For a fully loaded Global departure to New York we route to Istanbul Airport for the runway. For an Asian-side hotel we quote Sabiha Gökçen with the slot fee stated. For a Bodrum weekend we lead with the empty-leg supply and quote both directions. In each case the quote states the slot, PPR, handling and ground-transfer terms so the delivered mission is defined before you commit.

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