Sofia Airport
Sofia, BulgariaSOF / LBSF
Major airport · 106 direct destinations · 1 runway · longest runway 11,811 ft
46 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Sofia → Istanbul
SOF
SofiaSofia Airport
SofiaSofia AirportIST
Istanbulİstanbul Airport
Istanbulİstanbul Airport- Distance
- 290 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~1h 5m
Same local time in Sofia and Istanbul.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
A couple of times a day
On average around 3 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 3
- flights per day
- 3
- busiest month · Jan
- 1
- quietest month · Oct
- 52 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 3Jan2026
- 2Feb
- 2Mar
- 3Apr
- 3May
- 3Jun
- 3Jul
- 3Aug
- 3Sep
- 1Oct2025
- 1.5Nov
- 1Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
Turkish Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Sofia. Most departures between 08:00 and 11:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 1.4Mon
- 1.7Tue
- 1.7Wed
- 1.4Thu
- 2.1Fri
- 1.7Sat
- 2.2Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Airbus A321A32143%
- Boeing 737-800B73820%
- Airbus A321neoA21N16%
- Boeing 737-900B73912%
- Airbus A320A3203%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 3 | 28 |
|
| February 2026 | 2 | 37 |
|
| March 2026 | 2 | 49 |
|
| April 2026 | 3 | 73 |
|
| May 2026 | 3 | 68 |
|
| June 2026 | 3 | 82 |
|
| July 2026 | 3 | 92 |
|
| August 2026 | 3 | 85 |
|
| September 2026 | 3 | 92 |
|
| October 2025 | 1 | 4 |
|
| November 2025 | 1.5 | 11 |
|
| December 2025 | 1 | 9 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on SOF-IST - not a booking guarantee.
About this route
- International route: Sofia and Istanbul are in different countries.
- The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
- Direct destinations observed from Sofia: 106.
- Direct destinations observed from Istanbul: 116.
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
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
About the route from Sofia to Istanbul
The observed direct connection between Sofia Airport (SOF) and İstanbul Airport (IST) covers approximately 290 mi. The estimated flight time is around 1h 5m. Turkish Airlines has been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Sofia from Istanbul by air?
- The great-circle distance between Sofia Airport and İstanbul Airport is approximately 290 mi.
- How long is the flight from Sofia to Istanbul?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 1h 5m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Sofia to Istanbul?
- Yes, a direct connection between SOF and IST has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: Turkish Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from Sofia to Istanbul?
- On average around 3 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 630 observed flights. Mainly Turkish Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Sofia and Istanbul?
- Same local time in Sofia and 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.