THE BEST airport in the world is now in Europe – and there are cheap flights there from the UK.
Istanbul Airport has been voted the best by Conde Nast Traveler in it’s
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It was also voted the best earlier this year by Travel + Leisure.
It opened in 2018, before welcoming passengers in 2019.
The airport has routes to 317 destinations with including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Some of the cheapest are with Wizz Air, flying from London Stansted which can be found for as little as £47 return.
And Turkish Airlines is hoping to connect Istanbul Airport to both Glasgow and Newcastle for the first time.
But if you want to spend some time at the airport or you have a long layover, there is a lot to keep you busy
One of its main attractions is the Istanbul Airport Museum – one of the the largest of its kinds in the world.
Inside are 316 works from 29 museums, with the current exhibition being Türkiye’s Treasures; Faces of the Throne.
There is also the Istanbul Airport library, with 2,000 books to choose from.
For younger kids there are 11 kids playgrounds to choose from.
Five of theme are themed, called Cigaland Forest, Cigaland Space, Cigaland Sea, Cigaland Sky and Cigaland Ice.
There is even a designated Youth Lounge area – suited for anyone between 15 and 30 – with Playstations, board games, a football table and projectors, as well as snacks and drinks.
An on-site spa has massages, manicures and haircuts and you can even reserve private sleeping pods showers and ‘business pods’ for working.
Even the airports restaurants are award-winning, being named the World’s best Airport Dining by Skytrax this year.
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With more than 100 restaurants and cafes, Saltbae even opened his first airport restaurant there last year.
It’s on-site airport hotel, Yotel is one of the biggest airport hotels in the world, and is the largest in Europe.
There are 451 rooms to choose from, with 171 landside and 280 airside.
Istanbul Airport also hopes to become the world’s largest aviation hub.
What is it like to travel through Istanbul Airport
The Sun’s Assitant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski visited the airport last year.
“IF THERE’S one airport I wouldn’t mind being seriously delayed in, it’s Istanbul in Turkiye.
“The place is vast and shiny with enough food (for any budget), shopping (think chic clothes and hand-painted kitchenware), and entertainment (there’s even a library home to 2,000 books) to keep you occupied for hours on end.
“Better still, if your flight gets cancelled you won’t even need to endure the faff of security again as the large Yotel sits airside.
“I visited last year and couldn’t have been more grateful for the size of the place, meaning I could whizz straight past the screaming kids in the massive Lego store and head straight to the food courts where I had no problem finding a quiet seat for a drink – Çay Saati has traditional Turkish tea.
“In fact many stores in the airport blend Turkish traditions with the modern world and you could certainly get a flavour of Turkiye without ever leaving the terminal.
“The size of the place comes with a downside, though. Make sure you keep an eye out for your gate as it will take you a while to walk there – and try not to get lost on the way.”
The four-phase expansion, set to be complete by 2025, will increase its capacity from 90million to 120million.
And by 2028, this will expand to 200million, with six new runways.
Chief executive Selahattin Bilgen told CNBC: “Istanbul Airport is breaking records in European aviation.
“About 80 per cent of our passengers are international, and half of these are transfer passengers, contributing directly to our economy through their foreign exchange expenditures.”
Istanbul Airport beat Singapore’s Changi Airport, often also named one of the worlds best airports.
And the airport has revealed plans for a new £7.6billion terminal – which will take passenger numbers to 120million a year.
We’ve also rounded up five huge new airports set to open in Europe in the next few decades.
World’s Best Airports according to Conde Nast Traveler
1. Istanbul Airport (IST)
2. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
3. Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN)
4. Hamad International Airport (DOH)
5. Zurich Airport (ZRH)
6. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
7. Dubai International Airport (DXB)
8. Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
9. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
10. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM)