Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) or Sabiha Gökçen Uluslararası Havaalanı (in Turkish) is one of the major airports serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in Kürtkoy, Pendik at the Anatolian side (Anadolu Yakası) of the bi-continental city, about 12 km to Pendik, 40 km to Kadikoy, and 50 km to Taksim (city center of the European side of Istanbul).
This award winning airport is named after Sabiha Gökçen - the first woman combat pilot of Turkey who also happens to be the first female combat pilot in the world.
Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport was built due to the growing domestic and international passenger demands in Istanbul. This significant growth has made Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport to cause problems for not being large enough to serve its millions of passengers. At first, the Sabiha Gökçen International Airport's international terminal capacity was only 3 million passengers per year, and with a domestic terminal capacity of about 0.5 million passengers per year. But today, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport boasts of an international terminal which serves up to 25 million passengers annually making it as the World's Best Airport at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress in London in 2010.
GETTING THERE
There are several ways to travel from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to the main locations of Istanbul such as Sultanahmet, Taksim, Eminönü (Sirkeci), Beyazit (Laleli), Esenler, Harem, Bakirkoy, Yeşilkoy, Tuzla, etc. In going to-and-from the Sabiha Gökçen airport, you can either take a taxi, a public (IETT) bus, or the Havaş shuttle buses with non-stop services and runs daily at regular intervals right from the SAW airport to the city centers of Kozyatağı (Kadikoy), and Taksim (Istanbul's European side).
There are several taxis that you may also find readily available outside the airport terminal. Taxi cars in Turkey are usually colored yellow and writes taksi in Turkish. Though if you will be traveling all the way to central Istanbul, then taking a taxi can be quite costly. Taking a public bus or the airport's Havaş shuttle bus which goes non-stop to Taksim in Beyoğlu district maybe a more practical option.
There's also the Haydarpaşa-Gebze Express if you opt to travel by train. It departs from Pendik Train Station and goes right to the Haydarpaşa main terminal in Kadikoy. The train also has regular suburban services.
Another cheaper option would be getting on Istanbul's public buses. The public transportation (IETT) buses departs from the Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to central Istanbul.
FOOD, BEVERAGES & SHOPPING AREAS
Facilities and the services at the new terminal of the Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport include a 5,000 square-meter food court with several cafés and restaurants which mostly belong to the leading food & beverage brands. It also include a Duty Free shopping area, with a ground of 4,500 square-meters lined with various shops of international standards.
Restaurants, Bars & Cafes
Wings Café and Bar is located at the mezzanine lounge of International Flights terminal and two other cafés are located in A and B halls of the ground floor. East Port Cafe is located at the departure lounge of the Domestic Flights Terminal.
Mini Market
Newspapers, cigarettes, magazines, perfumes, personal care products and packed food products are available at the arrival lounge of the International Flights Terminal.
UNITEL Technomarket
A store of the Unitel firm selling cellular telephones and accessories, various electronic devices and equipment is located at the arrival lounge of the International Flights Terminal.
Shops
Tobacco Shop SKYMART and Turkish Delight Shop are both located at the sectioned halls of the International Flights Terminal. Duty-Free Shops also sell popular spirits, cigarettes, candies, perfume products of the world, and many other items. It is located at the sectioned halls of the International Flights Terminal.
Banks
Türkiye Is Bankasi and Akbank branches are both available at the arrival lounge of the International Flights Terminal providing all kinds of banking services.
For more info, you may visit the airport's official website at www.sgairport.com
You Might Also Like To Read:
- Getting To and Around Turkey - By Air
- Major Airports in Turkey
- Turkey - Getting There and Around
- Ataturk International Airport
- Havaş Shuttle Bus Guide & Info - Ataturk International Airport
- Havaş Shutte Bus Timetable - Going To and From Ataturk International Airport
- Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
- Havaş Shuttle Bus Guide & Info - Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Istanbul
- Havaş Shuttle Bus Timetable - Going To and From Sabiha Gökçen Airport
