Flights Istanbul → London
IST → LHR
Route overview
The flight route connects Istanbul, where the airport opened in 2018, with London. Serving a highly trafficked destination, the route operates using a variety of aircraft including Airbus A320, Boeing 767, Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A321 to accommodate the nearly 84 million passengers who pass through London's airport annually.
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) → London (LHR) route is operated by American Airlines, British Airways, Turkish Airlines. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 14.1/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At London the average ATFM delay is 1.8 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Istanbul the average ATFM delay is 3.5 minutes.
Heading to London: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Istanbul (IST) to London (LHR) heads north-west for about 2,487 km, a flight time of roughly 3h 32m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Istanbul the average ATFM delay is 3.5 min (atfm); arriving into London it is 1.8 min (atfm).
Route facts
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways (BA) | 77% | 17 min | 2.4% |
| American Airlines (AA) | 74% | 16 min | 3.0% |
Airlines operating IST-LHR
Frequently asked questions about IST-LHR
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 3 airlines: American Airlines, British Airways, Turkish Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at London, 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.
