Atatürk Airport
Atatürk Airport, or ISL to the IATA and LTBA to the ICAO, is a general aviation airport in Istanbul, Turkey. It used to serve as the main international airport for Istanbul until the opening of the new Istanbul Airport in 2018 (and all commercial flights were transferred on April 6th, 2019). Over 60 million passengers were served in 2015. There is one runway: 05/23, which is 8,465 feet (grooved asphalt).
Airport history
ISL originated in 1911, with two hangars and a small apron for the Ottoman Armed Forces to use. In 1925 the Turkish Aircraft Company (now the THK Türk Hava Kurumu) was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and in 1933 Turkish Airlines began operations via two Curtiss Kingbird aircraft, flying to Ankara and Athens. A passenger terminal was built at this time, and the apron was expanded. The airport was named Yeşilköy Airport, renamed Atatürk International Airport in the 1980s. The airport was rebuilt as a civilian airport between 1949 and 1953.
Furthermore, a second runway was built in 1972. On April 6th, 2019, ISL’s commercial operations were transferred to the newly constructed Istanbul Airport, which would allow the city to meet the growing international and domestic air travel demands. Moreover, ISL’s original IATA code, IST, was transferred to the new airport. Recent developments included transferring all Turkish Cargo flights and operations to the new airport on February 5th, 2022, and the beginning of demolition work in May 2022 to turn the airport into a park.
Airport location
The airport is located in Istanbul, 15 miles southwest of Taksim Square.
Airport facts
- ISL was named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey.
- FBOs at ISL included Execujet Istanbul Atatürk, Palaviation, and Universal Aviation.
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