Flights Istanbul → Ankara
IST → ESB
Route overview
The flight route connects Istanbul, where the airport opened in 2018, to Ankara, a city served by an older and more established airport that has been operational since 1955. The destination airport handles over eight million passengers annually, making it a significant hub for air travel in Turkey. Various aircraft types operate on this route, including Boeing 737-800, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Boeing 737-900, Airbus A321, Airbus A319, and Airbus A340-300.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Istanbul (IST) → Ankara (ESB) route is operated by Turkish Airlines. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 8.1/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Ankara the average ATFM delay is 0.0 minutes (main cause: ATC pre-departure). Departing from Istanbul the average ATFM delay is 3.5 minutes.
Heading to Ankara: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Istanbul (IST) to Ankara (ESB) heads east for about 381 km, a flight time of roughly 54m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Istanbul the average ATFM delay is 3.5 min (atfm); arriving into Ankara it is 0.0 min (ATC pre-departure).
Route facts
Flexible on this trip? Compare flights
Airlines operating IST-ESB
Frequently asked questions about IST-ESB
Route-specific punctuality data isn't available yet. Check your flight on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis.
The cancellation rate varies by airline and season. Check your flight risk for an up-to-date estimate.
The route is operated by 1 airline: Turkish Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Ankara, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
