Ankara Esenboğa Airport: Cheap Flights and Transport

Ankara Esenboğa Airport lies in the Çubuk district about 28 kilometres north-east of the city centre and is the capital's only airport. The terminal, operated by TAV and opened in 2006, brings domestic and international flights under one roof; used by close to 13 million passengers a year, the airport is the main base of AJet and the second hub of Turkish Airlines and Pegasus for flights into Anatolia.

From Istanbul, Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul Airport and AJet and Pegasus from Sabiha Gökçen, with dozens of departures a day, and there are dense domestic links from cities such as Izmir, Antalya, Trabzon and Diyarbakır. From Germany, AJet, Pegasus and SunExpress fly non-stop from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart, Munich and Berlin, and Lufthansa serves Ankara from Frankfurt and Munich.

The cheapest flights to Ankara usually come up on midweek dates and on early-morning or late-night departures; the religious holidays, the mid-term break and the end-of-summer return call for early booking. From Istanbul compare AJet with Pegasus, from Germany AJet, Pegasus and SunExpress, and search both Istanbul airports together, which often makes a difference. The prices on this page are the current lowest Ankara fares found by our searches.

Belko Air airport buses run around the clock from outside the terminal to the AŞTİ bus station and Kızılay, taking 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic, while EGO municipal buses reach the city centre at a lower fare. Timetables and fares change, so check the airport website for current details.

• Taxi: from the rank outside arrivals, Kızılay and Çankaya are 35 to 45 minutes away; the meter applies.
• Car: the airport road links the terminal with the Ankara ring road; car-hire desks are in the arrivals hall.
• High-speed train: from Ankara central station, YHT services continue to Istanbul, Eskişehir and Konya; the station is reached by Belko Air bus or taxi.

Domestic and international sections share one building, with departures on the upper level and arrivals on the ground floor. There are duty free, shops, restaurants and cafés, currency exchange, ATMs, a pharmacy, free Wi-Fi, prayer rooms and baby-care rooms; TAV's Primeclass lounges on both the domestic and international sides can be entered for a fee, and the Turkish Airlines lounge is open to eligible passengers. The airport is open around the clock.

The open-air and covered car parks in front of the terminal serve short and long stays around the clock, with daily rates for longer parking. Payment is made on exit; current rates are listed on the airport website.