Travelling from Athens International Airport (ATH) to Istanbul Sabiha Airport (SAW): what you need to know
The average time for a direct flight from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport is 1 hour 25 minutes.
Istanbul's timezone is UTC+3, making Istanbul one hour ahead of Athens.
Flights from ATH to SAW start from 09:30 — the earliest with Pegasus. The last service of the day is at 20:25 with Pegasus. Overall, there are six weekly Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport flights.
For a smooth journey, turn up at the airport two hours ahead of international flights and one hour before domestic departures. This will give you enough time to board your ATH to SAW flight.
Be prepared for longer lines in popular months like August. Arriving up to four hours in advance for international flights and two hours for a domestic departure is a smart move.
Jetting into Istanbul (and then seeing more of Türkiye (Turkey)!) is a cinch with Pegasus Airlines. This popular carrier has direct flights from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport.
The airline most travellers fly with on this route is Pegasus Airlines.
Pegasus Airlines is the most punctual carrier that offers ATH to SAW flights.
Consider adding a stopover when booking your ticket from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport. Just uncheck 'Direct flights only' to break up your journey, or maybe even explore a new city along the way. Here are some options between ATH and SAW:
Vienna Airport
Izmir Airport
Alexandria Borg El Arab Airport
How to find the cheapest flights from Athens International Airport (ATH) to Istanbul Sabiha Airport (SAW)
The lowest price we've seen for a one-way Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport flight is 47 €. A return fare is currently 89 €. Depending on the availability when you book, these fares may change.
Book six months before you want to fly. After crunching the numbers on our calendar, this is how far you should book ahead to secure cheap tickets from ATH to SAW.
Schedule your trip for November. That's the cheapest month for flights from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport. If you have flexibility with your dates, try out the 'Whole month' tool to find the lowest price across each month.
Landing cheap flights from ATH to SAW is easy with Price Alerts. All you need to do is create one of these automatic alerts and we'll let you know when fares go down.
Tailor your flights with filters. Select your departure and arrival times, total journey duration and airlines. You can also sort results by 'Fastest,' 'Cheapest' or 'Best' flights from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport.
Handy information about Athens International Airport (ATH)
76% of flights departing from Athens International Airport land at their destination on schedule.
Central Athens to Athens International Airport is approximately 32 kilometres. Depending on traffic, it'll take about 35 minutes to get there if you're driving, ride-sharing or catching a taxi.
The trip when using public transport will take about 40 minutes.
Catching an early flight from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport? Avoid the last-minute rush to the terminal (and sneak in some extra precious sleep) by choosing one of these stays near ATH:
Arriving at Istanbul Sabiha Airport (SAW)
Consider staying in a hotel close to SAW if you have a late Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport flight. Select one of these accommodation options and skip the long transfer:
Go wherever you want, whenever you want with a Istanbul Sabiha Airport rental car. Pick up a set of wheels from Essence, Eren Rent a Car or 724 Rent and venture far and wide through Istanbul and beyond.
Booking your vehicle from Istanbul Sabiha Airport around four weeks ahead boosts your odds of scoring a great price.
When to fly to Istanbul Sabiha Airport (SAW)
August is the busiest month for flights from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport. To skip the crowds, go to Istanbul in March.
Lock in your flight from Athens International Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Airport for July if you want to explore Istanbul during its warmest month. You can expect temperatures of between 21ºC (70ºF) and 30ºC (86ºF).
January has average temperatures of between 2ºC (36ºF) and 11ºC (52ºF). Look for cheap tickets from ATH to SAW sometime around then if you want to travel when it's cooler.
Explore more of Türkiye (Turkey)
Istanbul has plenty going for it, but there are so many other parts of Türkiye (Turkey) you'll want to see. About 354 kilometres east of Istanbul, a visit to Ankara will keep you busy. Check out popular attractions like The Roman Theatre, Kocatepe Mosque (Kocatepe Camii) and Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
Izmir is another well-known destination in Türkiye (Turkey) and is around 322 kilometres south-west of Istanbul. No journey is complete without a visit to Aegean Coast, Smyrna Basilika and Ataturk Konak Square.
