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Route

Istanbul → London

ISTIstanbulİstanbul Airport
LGWLondonLondon Gatwick Airport
SaturdayFriday
Distance
1,529 mi
Estimated flight time
~3h 35m

London is currently 2 hours behind Istanbul.

Observed nonstop

View the reverse route

How often does this route fly?

Frequency

Daily at most

On average around 1 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.

1
flights per day
2
busiest month · Mar
1
quietest month · Jan
3 hr 31 min
measured flight time
9 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

  1. 1Jan2026
  2. 1.5Feb
  3. 2Mar
  4. 1Apr
  5. 2May
  6. 1Jun
  7. 1Jul
  8. 1Aug
  9. 1Sep
  10. –Oct2025
  11. –Nov
  12. –Dec

In October 2025, November 2025, December 2025 we saw less traffic at Istanbul in general than usual; compare that month with care.

In November 2025, December 2025 we do not see this direction because of limited reception; the opposite direction is seen.

Airlines

Who flies it

Turkish Airlinesspring
Wizz Air UKspring

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Istanbul. Most departures between 07:00 and 10:00.

  1. 00:00
  2. 01:00
  3. 02:00
  4. 03:00
  5. 04:00
  6. 05:00
  7. 06:00
  8. 07:00
  9. 08:00
  10. 09:00
  11. 10:00
  12. 11:00
  13. 12:00
  14. 13:00
  15. 14:00
  16. 15:00
  17. 16:00
  18. 17:00
  19. 18:00
  20. 19:00
  21. 20:00
  22. 21:00
  23. 22:00
  24. 23:00

Through the week

By weekday

  1. 0.2Mon
  2. 0.2Tue
  3. 0.1Wed
  4. 0.2Thu
  5. 0.3Fri
  6. 0.2Sat
  7. 0.2Sun

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Airbus A321neoA21N95%
  2. Airbus A321A3213%
All the numbers in a table
MonthPer daySeenAirlines
January 2026111
  • Turkish Airlines7×
  • Wizz Air UK4×
February 20261.53
  • Turkish Airlines3×
March 202622
  • Turkish Airlines1×
  • Wizz Air UK1×
April 202616
  • Turkish Airlines4×
  • Wizz Air UK2×
May 2026214
  • Turkish Airlines10×
  • Wizz Air UK4×
June 202619
  • Turkish Airlines8×
  • Wizz Air UK1×
July 2026116
  • Turkish Airlines16×
August 202619
  • Turkish Airlines9×
September 202613
  • Turkish Airlines3×
October 2025Not seen in this month.
November 2025We do not see this direction because of limited reception; the opposite direction is seen.
December 2025We do not see this direction because of limited reception; the opposite direction is seen.

Airlines observed on this route

From observed callsign routes on IST-LGW - not a booking guarantee.

Turkish Airlines

TK · THY

Hub: IST Istanbul

163 departure airportsView airline →

Wizz Air UK

W9 · WUK

Hub: LTN London

50 departure airportsView airline →

About this route

  • International route: Istanbul and London are in different countries.
  • The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
  • Direct destinations observed from Istanbul: 116.
  • Direct destinations observed from London: 189.

The airports on this route

İstanbul Airport

Istanbul, TürkiyeIST / LTFM

International hub · 116 direct destinations · 6 runways · longest runway 13,451 ft

54 °F · RainSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

London Gatwick Airport

London, United KingdomLGW / EGKK

Major airport · 189 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 10,883 ft

50 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

Alternative airports for this journey

Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.

IST LHRLondon Heathrow AirportLondon is about 25 mi from London.View route →IST LTNLondon Luton AirportLondon is about 51 mi from London.View route →IST STNLondon Stansted AirportLondon is about 54 mi from London.View route →

About the route from Istanbul to London

The observed direct connection between İstanbul Airport (IST) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW) covers approximately 1,529 mi. The estimated flight time is around 3h 35m. Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air UK have been observed on this connection in the available route data.

Frequently asked questions about this route

How far is Istanbul from London by air?
The great-circle distance between İstanbul Airport and London Gatwick Airport is approximately 1,529 mi.
How long is the flight from Istanbul to London?
Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 3h 35m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
Is there a direct connection from Istanbul to London?
Yes, a direct connection between IST and LGW has been observed in our route data.
Which airlines have been observed on this route?
In the available route data: Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air UK.
How often is there a flight from Istanbul to London?
On average around 1 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 73 observed flights. Mainly Turkish Airlines, Wizz Air UK. That is an observation, not a timetable.
What is the current time difference between Istanbul and London?
London is currently 2 hours behind Istanbul.

Where this data comes from

The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.

The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.

Route data updated on October 11, 2026.