Cheap flights from Ankara to Istanbul from $39

In general, February is the cheapest month to fly from Ankara to Istanbul. Due to it being the ‘off-season’ during this time, you can expect flight prices to be around $46. If you aren’t able to travel to Istanbul during the month of February, then flying in March is also cheap. Prices for this month can be found on momondo for an average of $47.

The cheapest day to depart from Ankara to Istanbul is on a Monday when prices can be found for as low as $799. Be sure to avoid booking your departure on a Sunday as prices are generally higher than usual. According to our data, the average ticket price to Istanbul on Sunday is $940.

Our most recent data shows that the best time of day to fly to Istanbul is in the evening. Flights from Ankara to Istanbul during this time can be as low as $566. If you have a flexible travel schedule, then try to avoid flying at noon when prices are $724 on average. Flights to Istanbul from Ankara at noon are generally more expensive because this time of day is more convenient for travelers’ schedules.

Fly from Ankara Esenboga to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen for the best Ankara Esenboga - Istanbul flight prices

Turkish Airlines is the most popular carrier operating from Ankara Esenboga to Istanbul

Ajet, Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines are the top three most popular airlines that fly to Istanbul from Ankara according to our data. Ajet is the first choice among our users, with 48% of people opting to fly with this airline when traveling to Istanbul. Keep in mind that there are 3 different airlines that fly to Istanbul on a routine basis, so you have a few additional options to choose from.

Historically, on average around 11% of flights between Ankara and Istanbul have experienced a delay on any given week. The average delay length over the past 12 months has been 93 minutes.

Generally, flights departing in the morning tend to experience fewer delays. Flights in the evening have, in the past, seen delays more frequently in comparison.

Wednesday is statistically the day of the week which experiences the fewest number of delays on this flight route. Friday has historically seen more delays on average compared to the rest of the week.

According to our data, Turkish Airlines have had the least number of delays on this route over the last 12 months; with about 6% of their flights experiencing any sort of delay.

As of March 2026, 27 flights take off from Ankara and land in Istanbul each day. The most common flight departure time for this route is 10:00AM, with 42% of daily flights taking off at noon.

As of March 2026, there are 193 flights per week flying from Ankara to Istanbul. The most common day of the week flights depart is Mon, with 23% of flights taking off on this day.