---
title: "IST is which airport? Istanbul"
description: "IST is Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Why the code is IST and not something you could guess, what LTFM means, and the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/ist/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is IST?

**IST is: Istanbul Airport**

Istanbul, Turkey

## Why the code is IST

ISTanbul. The code moved to the new airport when the old one closed.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** IST
- **ICAO code:** LTFM
- **Airport:** Istanbul Airport
- **City:** Istanbul, Turkey
- **Opened:** 2018
- **Code origin:** Documented

The entire operation moved from Atatürk to the new field in a single 45-hour window in April 2019, one of the largest airport relocations ever attempted; the last aircraft to leave Atatürk flew the short hop to the new airport carrying the airport code sign. Atatürk kept the ICAO code LTBA and now handles cargo and government flights.

## Codes it used to have

| Code | Until | What happened |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IST | — | The code transferred from Atatürk Airport, which held it until 2019, rather than being newly assigned. |

## Codes people book by mistake

| Code | What it actually is |
| --- | --- |
| SAW | Sabiha Gökçen, on the Asian side, used heavily by low-cost carriers. |

## The other code, LTFM

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, IST, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, LTFM, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why LTFM looks nothing like IST.

## Common questions

### What airport is IST?

Istanbul Airport, in Istanbul, Turkey.

### Why is Istanbul's airport called IST?

ISTanbul. The code moved to the new airport when the old one closed.

### What is the difference between IST and LTFM?

IST is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. LTFM is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

### Is IST the same as SAW?

No. SAW is sabiha Gökçen, on the Asian side, used heavily by low-cost carriers.

## Related pages

- [Turkey](https://atoneplace.net/country/turkey/)
- [The flag of Turkey](https://atoneplace.net/flag/turkey/)
- [Airport codes in Turkey](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/turkey/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]