Showing 3 Cathay Pacific Airways Flights from Istanbul - Starting at Just ₹41,725

  About Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the popular cities in Turkey which has been split by the Bosphorus Strait to have parts of it in Europe as well as Asia. The old city is known for its rich Byzantine heritage, which can still be witnessed in a majority of the monuments and tourist attractions. Istanbul is the financial, economic, historical and cultural hub of Turkey and witnesses a great turnover of tourists every year, especially during peak seasons.

Aside from being one of the largest cities in the world, Istanbul's population is quite high for a European city. The city is always crowded and can often get overwhelming with the excess crowd. There are various ways to reach the city, such as flights to Istanbul and cruises to the city's port from the Mediterranean Sea.

As a tourist hub, the city witnesses tourists flocking over from all directions. While their airport is busy with a plethora of flights flying in and out of Istanbul, even their sea routes see the same fervour. Ships and cruise voyages are a big hit among tourists who have the luxury of time and who also enjoy the luxe lifestyle. Many cities such as Barcelona, Nice, Athens, Sardinia, and more, have regular cruises heading to the port of Istanbul.

Some of the major highlights of the city are the Byzantium structures such as the Basilica Cistern, Chora Museum, to name a few. Accommodation prices fluctuate depending on the travel season.

Best time to visit Istanbul

Istanbul witnesses the best climate between March to May and September to November. As the city faces tremendous humidity to the point of annoyance, the summers and winters are also not ideal for travelling to Istanbul. However, Istanbul still receives an extensive crowd between June to August, summer. Even with the temperatures soaring high, many folks from the cold countries flock over to enjoy the hot sun and humid weather. It might be taxing to the ones already living in hot and humid atmospheres. The demand for Istanbul's summers is surprisingly high. The peak season comes with high-priced tags on hotel rooms in Istanbul. Even flights to Istanbul during the summer months are expensive. However, if you're planning a trip from India, which already enjoy its share of hot and humid weather, summer is definitely not the best time for you.

Months leading to winter and summer though, they are really pleasant and favourable for travelling and engaging in touristy activities. September to November bring the city's temperatures down as the roads are blessed with a cold breeze and quaint environment. Even the flight tickets to Istanbul drop, and there are cheap and affordable flight deals that you can acquire. These months usually witness rain showers, due to which, the tourism is put at a standstill. For a budget-traveller though, it is the best time to visit. The accommodation prices drop exceptionally in the city during this season, paving way for booking hotels in Istanbul for cheap. Another perk of this season is how various cultural festivals take place. Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul International Puppet Festival, Istanbul Theatre Festival, Contemporary Istanbul and Akbank Jazz Festival, are some of the festivals organised by the city to entertain the locals as well as the tourists. The March to May months are just as pleasant before summer takes over. Despite the humidity in the air, the spring and fall season caters to the tourism industry by keeping the heat and stickiness at a bare minimum.

Places to visit in Istanbul

Istanbul exquisite palaces and ornate religious structures have always been a fancy for history enthusiasts and tourists driven by cultural relevance. The city's major tourist attractions are centrally located, making traversing to the place convenient. However, thanks to the proximity, this has led to the city of Istanbul being excessively noisy, crowded and chaotic. That shouldn't stop you from exploring the streets of the city though You should visit the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Museum. These two attractions are known to be the most important ones in Istanbul and should not be missed. Istanbul's Faith district's another pearl is the Süleymaniye Mosque, which is known to be one of the perfect architectural structure in Ottoman-style. The Bosphorus Strait of Istanbul is a natural wonder on its own with the strategic waterways that connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and simultaneously, dividing the city of Istanbul into two separate continents. This is easily one of the best sights and definitely worth checking out. You can even find fancy restaurants that overlook the strait.

The Basilica Cistern (also called Yerebatan Sarnici) is the largest Byzantine cistern that has managed to survive all through centuries. It is a beautiful site with an underground water reservoir, which is roughly calculated to be the size of two football fields. Another relic from the Byzantine period is the Chora Museum, which was originally a church from the old era. There are some modern structures too that add to Istanbul's charm with the Istanbul Modern museum being one of them. It is a private museum which collects and exhibits artwork that has contemporary significance.

Things to do in Istanbul

Located very close to the Blue Mosque is the Grand Bazaar, which is one of the oldest and massive shopping markets across the globe. With over 5,000 shops and 60 streets, the bazaar tends to overwhelm tourists with its colossal size. Not to mention how the place is constantly bustling with overzealous salesmen. The bazaar also has many quaint cafes and restaurants where you will find a lovely amalgam of cuisines ranging from the Mediterranean to Turkish to Middle Eastern. Many tourists have advocated that simply opting for a stroll around the city streets is the best kind of tourist activity one can indulge in when in Istanbul. Interacting with people and learning new stories about the place is definitely something people would enjoy. Plus, it would also be a good learning experience as you will have many more stories to return with from Istanbul.

Food and Restaurants in Istanbul

Istanbul's dreamy scenic landscapes and cityscapes are not the only marvels that would steal your heart. The city's lovely melange of cuisines from Turkish to the Mediterranean is quite impressive and will go down well with you. The fusion food from the Middle East and Asia further add to the charm of the exquisite delicacies sold on the streets of Istanbul. You will particularly enjoy their kebabs and mezes (tapas-like plates), a popular dish known across Turkey as well as other Middle Eastern countries. The cuisine comprises meat, beans, vegetables and nuts, which combine to make quite the flavour that to get your attention. Another important ingredient for the Turkish is yogurt, which is used as a companion for a majority of their meals. The street food is just as marvellous with döner and simit, to name a few staple dishes. Besides, if the food expedition gets too heavy and makes you conk off, you can also down some impeccable Turkish coffee and feel rejuvenated.

To experience some of the high-end luxe restaurants in Istanbul, visit Ulus 29 which faces the famed Bosphorus, Râna Meyhane for some lip-smacking Ottoman and Mediterranean cuisine. You can take this food expedition further by visiting Banyan to savour some Asian delicacies and St. Regis Brasserie to indulge in some French food. These places are fancy and have some of the best views of the city's Bosphorus Strait. To resort to a more fun and noisy backdrop, head to some meyhanes, located in every nook and corner of the city. Babel Cafe and Restaurant would give you one of the best Turkish dishes.

How to reach Istanbul (Transportation)

Istanbul's international airport, also known as Ataturk International Airport, is the city as well as Turkey's busiest airport. As a city that attracts a lot of tourists, the international airport is well-connected with several major cities in the world. Flight connectivity to Istanbul from India is exceptional. There are direct flights that fly to Istanbul from major cities in the country, including, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Turkish Airlines, Oman Air, Aeroflot, Ukraine International Airlines are some of the major airlines that have services for direct flights to Istanbul from Indian cities. The distance from India to Turkey is quite decent and can be covered in about seven to ten hours. Depending on whether you choose a connecting flight or a flight with a layover, the duration to reach Istanbul from India would differ accordingly. Turkish Airlines offer direct flights without any layovers and connecting flight business from Mumbai, which takes only seven hours to reach. Direct flights come with a setback of burning a hole in your pocket.

As long as you don't mind paying extra money and spending less time on the flight, you can opt for direct flights. However, if you wish to snag cheap flight tickets to Istanbul, you will either have to pick the flights with longer durations or the ones with layovers. While booking your flight tickets, ensure to book your hotel room in Istanbul as well. You might receive some online flight deals for booking Istanbul flight and accommodation.

  About Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways, popularly known as Cathay Pacific or Cathay, is the flag carrier of Hong Kong. It has its head office situated at the Hong Kong International Airport, which also accommodates as its main hub. The airlines received its name Cathay, derived from the ancient name used to refer to China. Pacific was added by the founder, Roy Farrell, with the belief that they would, one day, fly across the Pacific Ocean. Also, to avoid the clash of the name Air Cathay, which has been previously used by a comic. Cathay Pacific Airways' operations, as well as subsidiaries, involve scheduled passenger services that cater to more than 190 destinations in about 60 countries. The airline is the world's tenth-largest airline with respect to sales and stands at the 14th position as the largest measured by market subsidization. In terms of cargo airline, Cathay Pacific managed to become the largest international cargo. Cathay Pacific is one of the main founding members of the Oneworld alliance. Along with Cathay Pacific, it's subsidiary Cathay Dragon is also an affiliate member of the Oneworld alliance.

Founded in 1946, Cathay Pacific Airways brought together Australian investor Sydney H. de Kantzow and American Roy C. Farrell. The airlines' major shareholders include Swire Pacific and Air China, which hold about 45 per cent and 29 per cent stakes respectively. The head office of Cathay Pacific, Cathay City, came into existence in 1998 after the airline's headquarters shifted from Swire House. The airline's livery includes a brushwing, which is used on all Cathay Pacific Airlines aircraft. The brushwing logo basically has a calligraphic stroke and is set against a green background. The stroke appears to be the wing of a bird. Flights of Cathay Pacific Airways can be booked on various platforms, including the official website of the airline.

Fleet size of Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific currently operates an all-wide-body fleet which comprises of Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777-300, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-9 aircraft. Ever since the genesis of the airlines, Cathay Pacific fleet has had an array of aircraft operations. During World War II, the first two aircraft were surplus DC-3s which were named Betsy and Niki. Betsy is currently an exhibit of permanent stature at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Niki, however, was lost during the war. It is believed that Cathay Pacific once held the position of being the largest operator of the Lockheed L-1011, based out of the United States. It had a fleet of 19 before it was replaced by the Airbus A330-342s. Currently, there are a total of 130 fleets in service, excluding the Boeing 777-9. Cathay Pacific Cargo also operates to more than 40 international destinations.

Baggage allowance

Cabin baggage for Economy - Passengers flying on the economy ticket are allowed to carry one bag with them to the aircraft with the maximum dimension of 56cm x 36cm x 23cm. The dimensions are inclusive of handles, wheels and side pockets too. Passengers are allowed to bring another small bag too that would fit under the front seat of the aircraft. It should fall under the dimension of 15cm x 30cm x 40cm. It should weight no more than 7 kg.

Cabin baggage for Premium Economy - For passengers who are flying on the premium economy ticket, one bag is allowed onboard the aircraft. The maximum dimensions that the cabin bag should be of are 56cm x 36cm x 23cm. Along with the cabin bag, the passenger can also get a smaller bag which should fall under the dimension of 15cm x 30cm x 40cm. This specific bag should be big enough to fit under the aircraft seat. The items of the bag can be laptop bags, camera bags, briefcases, small handbags and more. The total weight of the same should not exceed 35 kg.

Check-in baggage for Business-class - Passengers travelling from the business class have a standard allowance of 40 kg weight. Two baggage is allowed to be carried within the flight. However, depending on the Marco Polo Club membership (if you have purchased to be a member of Cathay Pacific Airways' premium plan), the weight for the cabin baggage can alter accordingly. Maximum two cabin baggage allowed.

Check-in baggage for First-class - First-class passengers have the liberty to carry about 50 kg weighed baggage. The perk here is that passengers can carry a total of three cabin baggage per person. Once again, depending on the tier members of the Marco Polo Club, the weight of the baggage can change. Even the number of cabin baggage can change along with the weight of the same.

Inflight services

Cathay Pacific's in-flight services include entertainment system that is equipped with personal televisions. They are located in every seat and offer a range of films from Asian to Western programs to even music and games. Further, the airline also offers a slew of varied newspapers and magazines from around the world to keep the passengers up-to-date with their news and content consumption. This also includes the airline's personal magazine called Discovery. A Braille version of the content, especially Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, can be requested by passengers who are visually impaired. There are about 100 movies and 350 TV programs that the passenger can browse through, thanks to StudioCX's collection. Besides entertainment, other in-flight services of Cathay Pacific Airways include complimentary food and beverages. The flight generally offers two hot meals, especially if the travel duration is long. Food delivered to Cathay Pacific is from the Cathay Pacific Catering Services. It is a joint venture with LSG Sky Chefs and caters to in-flight food services for Cathay Pacific Airways, along with catering from Toronto and Vancouver airports. There are in-flight WiFi connections installed in all Cathay Pacific Airways flights. With this, you can always be connected to the world wide web even though you are way up in the sky.

Popular routes and top cities for Cathay Pacific Airways

As of 2019, Cathay Pacific Airways has flight operations in 79 destinations, including cargo. This number excludes the 46 countries that fall under the codeshare agreement. The airlines that fall under the codeshare agreements with Cathay Pacific include Air Astana, Air Canada (only on selected routes), Air China, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Dragon, Comair, Finnair, Fiji Airways, Hong Kong Express, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Shenzhen Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Vietnam Airlines and WestJet.

The top cities for Cathay Pacific Airways include Indian domestic routes of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad. As for international routes, Cathay Pacific Airways flights fly to and from cities such as Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Male, Auckland, Singapore, Seoul, Phuket, Hanoi, Bangkok, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid, London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dubai, Cape Town, Wuhan, Beijing, to name a few. You can book flights of Cathay Pacific Airways to reach these international cities. The provision of web check-in is also available at the airline's official website. Flight schedules of Cathay Pacific Airways are also mentioned on the airline's website to make it easy for the passenger to choose an ideal flight.

Why travel by Cathay Pacific Airways?

Cathay Pacific Airways is considered to be one of the best airlines in the world. With the plethora of world-class services and facilities, it has to offer in terms of lounges, aircraft and fleet to in-flight experiences, the airline easily becomes ideal for travelling. Cathay Pacific airlines offer excellent baggage allowances, domestic and international routes as well as amazing flights. The in-flight services include great entertainment collection, WiFi and other connectivity while flying long haul distances. The aircraft's flying under Cathay Pacific Airways range from A350-900 to Boeing 777 are known to be some of the best fleets in the world. With their facilities that also accommodate first class and business class tiers with exquisite hospitality and treatment, the airline easily becomes a top choice.

Some of the other benefits of Cathay Pacific include the convenient international routes the flights take. This enables the flights to reach the destination at a reasonable duration, making it ideal for travelling. Cathay Pacific Airlines' flight schedules are always updated and shared on their official website. Plus, there are prior intimations regarding changes in the schedules too that are sent to the passengers. You can also book Cathay Pacific flights from all travel websites, including their website. With the airlines' popularity, the flights associated with Cathay Pacific are always available everywhere. The airline also sees tremendous connectivity with a slew of international cities. They are mostly all the major international cities such as Tokyo, New York, London, San Francisco, Dubai, Delhi, Sydney, Paris and more.

Further, on the same, Cathay Pacific's domestic routes to cities within China are also excellent. Over the years, Cathay Pacific has managed to become one of the top players in the global aviation industry as one of the most sought-after airlines.

  About Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport is one of the biggest airports in Turkey and serves as an international airport. The airport is situated on the Arnavutköy district, which falls on the European side of the city. Istanbul Airport is reserved for passenger use and should not be confused with Istanbul Atatürk Airport. The airport previously served for commercial flight services. However, the passenger flights were shifted to Istanbul Airport. Istanbul Atatürk Airport is closed for passenger flights, and only Istanbul Airport serves to allow operations of commercial flights.

Istanbul Airport is currently working on expansion plans. Some of the phases of infrastructural development and upgradations are yet to be completed. In fact, the airport authorities have segregated the expansion plans into various stages to enable consistent work. The eventual aim is to accommodate a whopping number of 200 million passengers in a year.

Istanbul Airport has four runways with one terminal that caters to both domestic and international flight movement. While there is only one terminal, the airport as been divided into five concourses and lettered alphabetically, A, B, C, D, F and G. Further with respect to the airport security, they have about 3,500 security personnel. These include 1,850 police, 750 immigration officers, providing airport security.

About Airport Terminals

Currently, the Istanbul Airport has one functioning terminal which services domestic and international flight activities. There are four runways that are operational and made of asphalt. The terminal does have a total of five concourses lettered A, B, D, F and G along with 143 total boarding bridges for passengers alphabetically. Since the one terminal takes care of both, domestic and international flights, the concourses divide the passengers flying from within Turkey and internationally. The Istanbul Airport has 3,500 security personnel dedicated to keeping the vicinity safe. Not to mention how a total of 1,850 police along with 750 immigration officers who are expected to join the airport security. The Istanbul Airport does have extensive plans to expand the terminals from the functional ones. The main terminal is known to have the capacity of passenger 90 million annually. It poses a tough competition with Dubai International Airport Terminal 3, which also boasts a large floor area. Istanbul Airport's runways are quite large, with one of them being 4,100 metres long.

About Airport Authority

Istanbul Airport is owned by General Directorate of State Airports Authority. However, it is being operated by Istanbul Grand Airport. The General Directorate of State Airports Authority is primarily a Turkish government body that takes care of the smooth functioning of a majority of airports in Turkey. They are also responsible for the regulation and overseeing the air traffic in the airspace that falls under the Turkish territory. Although the authority takes care of operations of many airports, the exceptions include Istanbul Airport, Milas-Bodrum Airport, Antalya Airport and Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. The operations of Istanbul Airport are undertaken by Istanbul Grand Airport. They have been working extensively on enabling the airport to be one of the best in the world.

Much recently, the authority came up with a project called Istanbul Airport City, which is set to bring about an intriguing urban development design. The airport city's design has since been enhanced with provisions for world-class amenities to support the Istanbul Airport's functions. The Airport City's unique concept has been undertaken by Perkin+Will, a renowned international design company. Istanbul Airport City model's location is parallel to the Istanbul Airport. The best part about the project's design is how it resembles the city of Istanbul. IGA aims to make the Istanbul Airport City as the cultural and economic hub for Turkey. The Istanbul Airport City will have four main zones which would be directly connected to the core zone of Terminal 1. The Istanbul Airport City is also slated to have an aviation academy and university, retail, hotels, hospital facility and more. IGA is also planning on bringing sustainable practices to enable a positive approach to environmental management.

Top airlines flying from Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport is gifted with great airlines connection. There are many flights that fly to and from the Istanbul Airport and have dedicated park bays too. In fact, the airport also sees Indian airlines, IndiGo. It is the only Indian airline that is available at the Istanbul Airport. In fact, the airline has devoted direct flight to IndiGo. Along with the Indian airline though, the Istanbul Airport further sees a lot of international connections too. With Turkish Airlines taking the majority of air traffic, the airport does witness flights of airlines such as Aegean Airlines, Aeroflot, Air Albania, Air Astana, Air France, Air Moldova, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Jazeera Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Libyan Airlines, Oman Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Tunisair, Sichuan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways. The Istanbul Airport does lack cargo operations as a majority of the operations are being taken up by Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

Facilities at the Istanbul Airport

ATM and foreign exchange - ATM kiosks and forex counters are available at regular intervals at the airport. In fact, you can find the forex counters at the arrivals section of all terminals. It would be best to go through the airport's website if you need to know the exact location of the forex counters. The information desk would also perfect place for you to visit.

Baggage - The airport offers a slew of baggage-related facilities such as baggage delivery, baggage wrapping, porter services and more. These services are perfect as they would help you with all your luggage woes.

Prayer rooms - Dedicated multi-faith rooms have been installed at the airport. They can be availed by visitors, and there are 44 rooms in total. Half of them serve men, and the other half serve women. You must know the ones that you can enter.

Restaurants and cafes - Food courts, establishments and upscale restaurants are also present at the airport terminals. You can find them at the departures and arrivals spaces. In fact, many of the lounges in the airport also cater to an exquisite culinary experience.

Lounges - The Istanbul Airport accommodates a slew of airline lounges, including VIP rooms and business conference halls. These make it convenient for the passengers who are travelling with first-class and business-class tickets. The lounge also has spas and upscale restaurants to make it a good experience for travellers.

Medical services - Medical services such as emergency teams and pharmacies are also available at the airport. You can visit the information desk to find out more about their paramedic services. Pharmacies are also present at the departures and arrivals sections of the terminals. This is to ensure that an emergency situation is catered to immediately.

Nursing rooms - For new mothers with infants, dedicated nursing rooms have also been installed. The rooms are perfectly hygienic and sanitized to ensure that the mothers feel safe about the environment. The area also has baby products and essentials such as baby powders and diapers.

Special assistance - Special assistance and porter services are also offered at the airport. In fact, you can inform your airlines about the services you require which need special assistance and the airport would provide you with the same.

Smoking zone - To keep the air of the airport fresh, they have restricted smoking in public. There are dedicated smoking rooms in the airport lounge that you can visit. In case you do not have any on you. Provisions to purchase the same is also available.

How to reach Istanbul Airport

Public Transport

Much recently, the Istanbul Airport worked on bringing forth a dedicated public transportation link that would be connected to the city. There are many scheduled rides that would reach you to the Istanbul Airport as well as the city. There are taxis and other public transportations that are available at the airport. Not to mention how you can find them from anywhere in the main city too. You can find bus routes to take to reach the Istanbul Airport on their website.

Rentals and taxis

You can find taxis and rental cars that would reach you to Istanbul Airport. It might be nice to take up cars and taxis for a relaxed departure. It is essential for you to plan your route in advance to make sure that you reach the Istanbul Airport on time. Maps would guide you perfectly to the airport. It is essential that you keep a check on the traffic that the Istanbul city possesses. Since Istanbul is known to be extremely crowded and busy at all times, it would be best to plan a route in advance to reach the Istanbul Airport without any delay in the schedule. The airport does offer 24/7 taxi service that can be found at several counters. You can book a ride from the departures as well as the arrivals.