Flights Zurich → Istanbul
ZRH → IST
Route overview
The flight route connects Zurich, whose airport opened in 1948, with Istanbul, where the destination airport, which began operations in 2018, serves over 84 million passengers annually. The journey is typically operated using aircraft such as Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Boeing 737-800.
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 Zurich (ZRH) → Istanbul (IST) route is operated by Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 14.4/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Istanbul the average ATFM delay is 3.5 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Zurich the average ATFM delay is 0.7 minutes.
Heading to Istanbul: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Zurich (ZRH) to Istanbul (IST) heads east for about 1,739 km, a flight time of roughly 2h 36m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Zurich the average ATFM delay is 0.7 min (atfm); arriving into Istanbul it is 3.5 min (atfm).
Route facts
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss International Air Lines (LX) | 59% | 27 min | 0.8% |
Airlines operating ZRH-IST
Frequently asked questions about ZRH-IST
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 2 airlines: Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Istanbul, 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.
