Atatürk Airport IATA Code: ISL, Former IST & Travel Information
The current Atatürk Airport IATA code is ISL. Its ICAO code is LTBA. Atatürk previously used IST, but IST now belongs to the newer Istanbul Airport.
What is the Atatürk Airport IATA code?
The current IATA airport code for Istanbul Atatürk Airport is ISL. Its four-letter ICAO location indicator is LTBA.
The code most travelers remember from the past is IST. Atatürk Airport used IST when it was Istanbul’s primary international passenger airport. Today, IST identifies Istanbul Airport, a separate facility that became Istanbul’s main passenger hub.
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Atatürk Airport facts at a glance
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Official name | Istanbul Atatürk Airport / İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı |
| IATA code | ISL |
| ICAO code | LTBA |
| Former IATA code | IST, now used by Istanbul Airport |
| City | Istanbul, Türkiye |
| Area | Yeşilköy / Bakırköy area on Istanbul’s European side |
| Opened | 1953 as Yeşilköy Airport |
| Current status | Civil airport |
| Current traffic type | Cargo / general aviation (private) |
| Scheduled passenger terminals | Closed following the transfer to Istanbul Airport |
| Terminal-building area | 345,270 m² as listed by DHMİ |
| Coordinates | 40°58′34″N, 28°48′50″E |
| Airport operations | DHMİ slot information lists the airport as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week |
Why did Atatürk Airport change from IST to ISL?
For decades, travelers knew Istanbul Atatürk Airport by the IATA code IST. That made sense while Atatürk was the city’s main scheduled international and domestic passenger airport.
The newer Istanbul Airport opened in 2018, followed by a phased transfer of airline operations. DHMİ records that the major move from Atatürk Airport to Istanbul Airport was completed in April 2019.
After the transfer, the familiar IST identifier became associated with Istanbul Airport. Atatürk Airport is now identified by ISL, while its ICAO code remains LTBA.
Is Atatürk Airport still open?
Yes, Atatürk Airport still exists and remains an aviation facility. The important distinction is what kind of traffic it handles.
DHMİ currently classifies Atatürk Airport’s traffic as cargo/general aviation (private). Its own airport history also states that the domestic and international scheduled passenger terminals were closed after Istanbul Airport entered service.
Cargo activity
Atatürk continues to have an aviation role that includes cargo-related operations.
General aviation
Private and general-aviation activity continues under the airport’s current operating role.
Scheduled passenger flights
The former domestic and international passenger terminals are not used as Istanbul’s normal scheduled passenger gateway.
ISL vs IST vs SAW: Istanbul airport codes compared
Istanbul has several airport identifiers that can appear in searches, old travel records and current bookings. The three that cause the most confusion are ISL, IST and SAW.
| IATA | Airport | ICAO | Current traveler meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISL | Istanbul Atatürk Airport | LTBA | Current Atatürk identifier; not Istanbul’s normal scheduled passenger airport. |
| IST | Istanbul Airport | LTFM | Main scheduled passenger airport on Istanbul’s European side. |
| SAW | Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport | LTFJ | Major scheduled passenger airport on Istanbul’s Asian side. |
Useful when identifying the Atatürk facility itself, aviation records, cargo activity or general-aviation operations.
Use this code when your current passenger ticket identifies Istanbul Airport.
A separate passenger airport on the Asian side. SAW and IST are not terminals of the same airport.
How to make sure you are going to the correct Istanbul airport
Searching only for “Istanbul airport” is not enough. A current itinerary may use IST or SAW, while older travel pages may still associate Atatürk with IST.
Read the IATA code on the ticket
Look for the three-letter code beside the departure or arrival city. For most current passenger trips to Istanbul, that will normally be IST or SAW.
Match the code to the full airport name
IST should correspond to Istanbul Airport. SAW should correspond to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport.
Do not rely on an old Atatürk reference
Historical documents can legitimately show Atatürk Airport as IST. That does not make Atatürk the current IST passenger airport.
Check your airline directly
Use the operating airline’s current reservation or flight-status page to confirm the airport, terminal and latest departure information.
Match your ground transport
Tell a hotel shuttle, private transfer or driver the airport name and IATA code rather than saying only “Istanbul airport.”
Recheck on travel day
Flight times, terminals, check-in areas, roads and transport conditions can change. Verify dynamic information before leaving for the airport.
From Yeşilköy Airport to Atatürk Airport
The Atatürk site has a long place in Turkish aviation history. DHMİ’s airport history traces early aviation activity in Yeşilköy to the early twentieth century and records the opening of the modern airport in 1953.
The modern civil airport entered service under the Yeşilköy name.
Airport infrastructure expanded as Istanbul’s passenger and aircraft traffic increased.
A terminal that later became the domestic terminal entered service as the international terminal.
DHMİ’s history records the airport taking the Atatürk Airport name during this period.
Cargo-terminal facilities were brought into service as air-freight activity grew.
A new international terminal opened as passenger traffic continued to rise.
Passenger operations moved in stages to Istanbul Airport, with the main transfer completed in April 2019.
Scheduled passenger terminals closed, while cargo, general aviation and other permitted airport activities continued.
What is the difference between the IATA and ICAO codes?
The IATA code is the three-letter identifier most travelers see on reservation systems, flight searches, itineraries and baggage labels. For Atatürk Airport, the current IATA code is ISL.
The ICAO code is a four-letter aviation identifier used in operational systems, aeronautical information and flight planning. Atatürk Airport’s ICAO code is LTBA.
Traveler-facing airport code
Three-letter code commonly used by airlines, booking systems and baggage processes.
Operational aviation code
Four-letter location indicator used in professional and operational aviation contexts.
Where is Atatürk Airport located?
Istanbul Atatürk Airport is in the Yeşilköy area of Istanbul on the city’s European side. The official DHMİ address uses postal code 34149.
DHMİ lists the airport coordinates as approximately 40°58′34″N, 28°48′50″E. This location is different from the newer Istanbul Airport, even though older travelers may remember Atatürk as “Istanbul IST.”
ISL / LTBA
- Yeşilköy area
- European side of Istanbul
- Former main passenger airport
- Current cargo/general-aviation role
IST / LTFM
- Separate airport
- Current major passenger hub
- Uses the IST code formerly associated with Atatürk
- Do not confuse with ISL
Atatürk Airport official contact details
For current airport-administration or operational information, use DHMİ’s official Atatürk Airport contact details. These contacts are more appropriate than relying on outdated passenger-era directories.
| Contact item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Authority | DHMİ Atatürk Havalimanı Başmüdürlüğü |
| Address | 34149 Yeşilköy / Istanbul, Türkiye |
| Main telephone | +90 212 463 77 77 |
| Fax | +90 212 465 32 53 |
| Public email | infoataturk@dhmi.gov.tr |
| Airport operations | DHMİ slot information lists operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week |
| Administrative working hours | DHMİ contact information lists 08:30–17:00 for office working hours |
What happened to Atatürk Airport’s terminals?
Atatürk once had major domestic and international passenger terminals serving millions of travelers. Those facilities were central to Istanbul’s airline network before the move to Istanbul Airport.
DHMİ states that the former domestic terminal closed after Istanbul Airport began service. The international terminal likewise closed after the transfer of passenger operations.
Closed to scheduled passenger use
The old domestic passenger terminal is not a normal check-in terminal for current commercial airline passengers.
Closed to scheduled passenger use
The former international passenger terminal also ceased its previous passenger role after the transfer to Istanbul Airport.
When is the Atatürk Airport code ISL still useful?
Even though ordinary passenger flights moved away, the Atatürk airport code remains useful in several situations.
Aviation records
ISL and LTBA help identify the present-day Atatürk facility in databases, airport references and operational material.
Cargo-related information
Atatürk continues to have a cargo role, so its current identifier can appear in logistics and aviation contexts.
General and private aviation
The airport remains relevant to private and general-aviation activity rather than normal passenger-ticket searches.
Historical research
Understanding the change from IST to ISL helps interpret older itineraries, baggage tags, schedules and aviation records correctly.
Common Atatürk airport-code mistakes and what to do
An old website says Atatürk = IST
Why it happens: IST was the airport’s historical IATA code.
What to do: check the date of the information. For a current passenger trip, IST means Istanbul Airport.
A database lists Atatürk as ISL
Why it happens: ISL is the current IATA code listed by DHMİ.
What to do: treat ISL as the identifier for the Atatürk facility itself.
Your ticket says IST
What it means: your current scheduled passenger flight is using Istanbul Airport, not the former Atatürk passenger terminal.
Your ticket says SAW
What it means: you are using Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, a completely separate airport on Istanbul’s Asian side.
A driver asks “which Istanbul airport?”
What to do: give both the airport name and code, for example “Istanbul Airport, IST” or “Sabiha Gökçen, SAW.”
You are meeting someone arriving in Istanbul
What to do: ask for the current flight number and airport code. Do not use an old assumption that all Istanbul flights arrive at Atatürk.
Before going to an Istanbul airport
- Confirm the full airport name.
- Read the three-letter IATA code on the current itinerary.
- Match IST to Istanbul Airport and SAW to Sabiha Gökçen.
- Do not use an old Atatürk/IST article as current booking guidance.
- Confirm the airline, flight number and date.
- Check current terminal and check-in information with the airline.
- Give shuttle drivers the airport name and code.
- Allow for Istanbul traffic and local transport conditions.
- Recheck flight status before leaving for the airport.
Official sources used for this Atatürk Airport guide
Airport-Guides.org is an independent information website. Current airport codes, operational classification, historical milestones and contact details on this page should be checked against the responsible Turkish aviation authority when the information affects an actual trip or aviation operation.
Atatürk Airport IATA code FAQs
What is the current Atatürk Airport IATA code?
The current IATA code for Istanbul Atatürk Airport is ISL. DHMİ lists its ICAO code as LTBA.
Was Atatürk Airport’s IATA code IST?
Yes. Atatürk Airport historically used IST while it was Istanbul’s primary scheduled passenger airport. IST now belongs to Istanbul Airport.
What airport does IST mean today?
IST currently identifies Istanbul Airport. Its ICAO code is LTFM.
Is ISL the same airport as IST?
No. ISL is Atatürk Airport. IST is Istanbul Airport. They are separate physical airports.
Is Atatürk Airport still operating?
Yes. Atatürk Airport remains an aviation facility, but DHMİ currently describes its traffic as cargo/general aviation (private), rather than normal scheduled commercial passenger service.
Can I book a normal passenger flight from Atatürk Airport?
Atatürk is not Istanbul’s normal scheduled passenger airport. Ordinary passengers should check their current airline itinerary, which will typically identify IST or SAW for Istanbul passenger travel.
When did passenger flights move away from Atatürk Airport?
The transfer to Istanbul Airport took place in stages and the major move was completed in April 2019. Atatürk’s scheduled passenger terminals then ceased their former role.
What is Atatürk Airport’s ICAO code?
The ICAO location indicator for Atatürk Airport is LTBA.
Where is Atatürk Airport located?
Atatürk Airport is in the Yeşilköy area of Istanbul on the European side of the city.
What is the difference between IST and SAW?
IST identifies Istanbul Airport on the European side. SAW identifies Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on the Asian side. They are separate airports and require different ground-transport plans.
Why do some old tickets show Atatürk as IST?
Because IST was Atatürk Airport’s former IATA code. Historical tickets and records can therefore correctly show Atatürk as IST if they predate the airport-code transition.
Remember the current Istanbul airport codes
The simplest current distinction is: Atatürk = ISL / LTBA, Istanbul Airport = IST / LTFM, and Sabiha Gökçen = SAW / LTFJ.
If you are taking a normal scheduled passenger flight, follow the exact airport name and code shown by the operating airline. Do not travel to Atatürk Airport merely because an older source associates it with IST.