Planespotting Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen — LTFJ
Sabiha Gökçen, on the Asian side of Istanbul above Pendik and Kurtköy, is the main base of Pegasus and Turkish Airlines' low-cost arm AJet, and one of the busiest low-cost airports in Europe. For years everything ran on a single runway, 06L/24R; a parallel 06R/24L opened in January 2024 and has handled landings in both directions since October 2025, so arrivals have largely moved to the new runway while 06L/24R sees more departures. Northerly winds dominate, and the tower keeps the 06 direction until a southerly wind gets fairly strong. The traffic is the attraction — dense narrowbody flows plus unscheduled freighters from Central Asia and Africa that rarely appear in Europe. The setting is not spotter-friendly: spotting is neither supported nor widely understood in Turkey, locals and security may find a long lens suspicious, and military zones must never be photographed. Keep a low profile, stay in your car while waiting, and treat the spot notes below as partly pre-2024.
- UAE136 B77W 35 000 ft
- THY1PX A321 25 575 ft
- THY236 A333 19 475 ft
- THY4PD B738 16 500 ft
- KAL955 B789 6 600 ft
- TKJ102 B738 2 875 ft
- PGT1158 A21N 2 400 ft RWY 06
Conditions right now
Runways
- 06/24 RWY 06 3,001 × 45 m · 9,846 × 148 ft concrete
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 17:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody88%
- Widebody4%
- Cargo4%
- Bizjet3%
- GA1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Hillside park above Fevzi Çakmak – Hastane metro
A small park on a hill south-west of the airfield with a café-restaurant at the top. From the car park beside the restaurant you overlook the airport with line-ups and touchdowns on the 06 side, and the approach can be framed against the city and the port. Arrivals on the new 06R are further away and suffer more from heat haze.
- Getting there
- Metro M4 to Fevzi Çakmak – Hastane, then about 30 minutes uphill on foot past small supermarkets; the park entrance is on its northern side. There is a CCTV camera and a small police post — stay between the cars and the wall, or on the benches below the stairs.
- Best time
- 06 arrivals on summer afternoons from about 15:00 to sunset.
- Lens
- 250 mm for an A321 on 06L; 400–600 mm for 06R.
Botaş Park, Tandoğan Street
A children's park under the 06L approach, where sitting on the grass draws less attention than standing by the road. With most landings now on 06R, 06L arrivals are less frequent than the older guides suggest, but when it is used aircraft pass close.
- Getting there
- Tandoğan Street on the 06L approach side; park around the edge of the park. The park has security guards and gets crowded on sunny days. Small shops nearby, no toilets.
- Best time
- 06L arrivals in summer from about 15:00 to sunset.
- Lens
- 130–160 mm.
Kurtköy–Orhanlı road (24 arrivals)
On the eastern side, the road between Kurtköy and Orhanlı crosses under the approach for the 24 direction, the place to be on a southerly-wind day. You can pull over along the road right at the spotting position.
- Getting there
- Car needed. Coming along the Kurtköy–Orhanlı road, turn off just before the petrol station sign and park along the road. Nothing else here — wait in the car with the camera out of sight.
- Best time
- 24 arrivals until about noon in summer, until about 16:00 in winter.
- Lens
- 150 mm for an A320.
Petrol station on Fettah Başaran Caddesi
A quick stop rather than a real spot: from the forecourt area you can catch 24R arrivals when something special is inbound, with snacks and toilets at hand. Do not stay long.
- Getting there
- On Fettah Başaran Caddesi, on the right when coming from the terminal. Car only.
- Best time
- 24 arrivals until around noon in summer, until 16:00 in winter.
- Lens
- 170 mm for an A320.
Terminal gate windows (airside)
Unoccupied gates in the international and domestic piers give views of the apron and especially the taxiways, the safest way to photograph at SAW if you are flying anyway.
- Getting there
- Airside only, so a boarding pass is required. Food and toilets at hand.
- Best time
- From about 16:00 until sunset.
- Lens
- 150 mm for an A320 on the taxiway.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Pegasus A320neo and A321neo jets dominate, with AJet 737s and A320s close behind and SunExpress on domestic routes. International variety comes from Wizz Air, flydubai, Air Arabia, flynas and other Middle East and Central Asian carriers, plus seasonal European charters. Freight is the wildcard: irregular flights by carriers from Libya, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and other CIS states — the Afriqiyah Cargo and Silk Road Cargo type of visitor — often unscheduled, so luck matters. Summer evenings and night banks are busiest.
What actually flew over Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A21N 31.2 %
- B738 24.7 %
- A20N 12.9 %
- B38M 10.8 %
- A320 7.5 %
- A321 5.4 %
- B739 4.3 %
- A333 3.2 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen?
Spotterra's live map shows every tracked aircraft around Sabiha Gökçen and the Asian side of Istanbul in real time, with type, registration and route — free in your browser.
Is planespotting allowed at Sabiha Gökçen?
It is not forbidden at public places, but it is not understood either. Expect questions from locals or police, stay calm, keep a low profile, and never photograph military areas — that is illegal in Turkey.
Which runway do arrivals use at SAW now?
Since the second runway reached full operation in October 2025, most landings use 06R/24L, with 06 the usual direction in the prevailing northerly wind. Spotterra predicts the active direction from the live METAR.
Can I reach a spot by public transport?
Yes — the hillside park is a 30-minute walk from Fevzi Çakmak – Hastane on metro M4. The other road spots really need a car or taxi.
Spotterra watches the sky over Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
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