Atatürk Airport 2026: Closed? What ISL Means on Your Ticket

Quick Answer: Atatürk Airport (IATA code ISL , formerly IST) stopped handling scheduled passenger flights on 6 April 2019 , when all commercial traffic moved to the new Istanbul Airport (IST) in Arnavutköy. In 2026 Atatürk is used for cargo, private jets, state flights and maintenance only, and much of the old runway area is now the Atatürk Airport Nation''s Garden. If you are flying to Istanbul as a tourist, your airport is either Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. Is Atatürk Airport Closed in 2026? Yes — closed to scheduled passenger flights. The airport itself still physically exists in Yeşilköy, Bakırköy , roughly 20 km west of Sultanahmet, but you cannot book a normal holiday flight into it. Since April 2019 it has served: Cargo and freight operations Private and business aviation (this is the main reason the ISL code still appears in booking systems) State and diplomatic flights Aircraft maintenance and training The single most common traveller mistake we see is booking a hotel near the old airport because an old blog post or an outdated map pin still calls it "Istanbul''s main airport". That mistake costs 60–90 minutes and a cross-city transfer on arrival day. Why Did Istanbul Move Its Main Airport? Atatürk was hemmed in by the city and the Sea of Marmara, so it could not grow past roughly 60 million passengers a year. Istanbul Airport (IST) was built north of the city on the Black Sea coast with room for six runways and a design capacity well beyond 100 million passengers. Turkish Airlines relocated its entire hub over one weekend in April 2019 in a single, famously choreographed move. What Does ISL Mean on My Ticket? Airport codes were reshuffled during the move. This is the part that confuses travellers most: Code Airport Status in 2026 Who uses it IST Istanbul Airport, Arnavutköy (European side) Open — main international hub Turkish Airlines and most long-haul carriers ISL Atatürk Airport, Yeşilköy (Europ