The Ataturk International Airport is emerging as in importance as a leading airport connecting the Far East with the Far West with the rapidly growing Turkish Airlines as the principal passenger carrier.

The airport is being used by passengers from the Balkans, the Middle East, and the far end of Kazakhstan and even inland China, some sightseeing Istanbul or the others in transit using the many facilities that it provides.

There new runway capable of handling the largest aircraft in the world is being added to the airport which is targeting 50 million passengers annually.

The airport has two terminals, one international and the other domestic. The international terminal handles 79% scheduled and 21% chartered flights while the domestic terminal handles 93% scheduled and 7% chartered flights.

Istanbul International Airport Hotel offers 85 rooms of luxury accommodation, as well as hourly accommodation on the airside, the rooms equipped with TV sets showing flight details, music system, internet access, and Minibar and 24-hour room service.

The airport has a number of cafes, pubs, bar and restaurants spread over the departure and arrival areas to cater to the wining and dining needs of the traveller.

The duty free zone at the airport is ranked the 17th largest duty free shop in world airports and has shops conveniently located at the departure floor with main shops 1 and 2, Old Bazaar and the arrivals area all featuring brands like S. Ferragamo & Versace, Hermes and Bvlgari.