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Istanbul connection

Do passengers making an international connection at the Istanbul airport (the big new one) need to go through security? The itinerary is Washington DC - Istanbul - Bucharest, return Cluj-Napoca (Romania) - Ist - Washington, on Turkish Airlines. Thanks for any info!

Posted by
28697 posts

If you're asking because you need to decide on what is a reasonably safe transfer time, keep in mind that IST has a huge footprint. It can take a very long time to progress from the point of touchdown to the gate. The walk between gates could also be very time-consuming. I've only arrived at and departed from IST; I've never changed planes there, but I'd want a nice, long layover.

Posted by
1629 posts

I've had a couple of connections in IST over the last month and a half - going to/from Tunisia from the US and I've generally had to go through security.

While IST is huge, and with lots of walking, a 90 min connection should suffice.

Posted by
21240 posts

While IST is huge, and with lots of walking, a 90 min connection
should suffice.

Ditto. Large but we'll staffed and lined move well. We'll laid out and organized.

Posted by
320 posts

Thank you all! My connection is 75 minutes outbound and a bit under 4 hours return. That does seem fairly tight for the first one but I’m not too worried, as it’s on one ticket, presumably feasible or Turkish Airlines wouldn’t have offered it, and early in the morning with several later flights to Bucharest if necessary. Also it’s not until September so in all likelihood there will be at least one schedule change. I jumped on what looked like a very good fare for this routing (to join a Road Scholar Romania tour) of about $750 — especially as there isn’t a big selection of return flights from little Cluj; the only other one-stops on a major airline back to Dulles appear to be Lufthansa through Munich at much higher cost at present, although of course IST is a bit of a backtrack. I’m thinking not just about connection feasibility with the security question but also water bottles, etc as I’ve heard IST has ridiculously expensive food and drink. Thanks again.

Posted by
21240 posts

Slate, it's reasonable. I flew IAH to BUD through Istanbul a dozen times over the years and made several 1 hour connections. Never missed a connection there, but it can happen. I also on a few ocassions took the last flight into IST, spent the night at the Yotel Hotel next to the gates and flew into Budspest (BUD) well rested the next morning. Turkish Air, great airline, IST great airport.