A beautiful city rich in culture and heritage
Divided between Asia and Europe, Istanbul has played host to a myriad of cultures and ancient civilisations. Today, it’s a buzzing city of diversity and architectural attractions. We list five of the many reasons why you should make Istanbul your next to-go destination. By Marlene Tan
5. A good network of connections and a first-class airport
Istanbul’s geographical position also means it is an ideal transit point for travelling across continents, especially from Asia to Europe. As such, the national airline, Turkish Airlines, has a well-connected network of flights for travellers. What makes it an even more ideal airline for Asian travellers to Europe is that it currently offers a free tour into the city for any stopovers that are more than six hours, making sure that you do not miss the chance to visit the fascinating city. If the layover is not long enough, business class passengers may make use of the state-of-the-art facilities at the lounge. Besides a wide spread of culinary delights and state-of-the-art designs, there’s even a massage therapist making her rounds who would be glad to ease the stiffness in your shoulders and neck after a long flight.
Expected to be fully operational by early 2019, Istanbul’s new airport which opened on October 29 is targeting to handle 90 million passengers a year to start, eventually growing this number to 200 million. This will make it one of the world’s biggest airports.
One more reason to fly Turkish Airlines? If you should flying Turkish Airlines to another country and have at least six hours of layover at Istanbul, make use of their free Touristanbul services to see some of the highlights mentioned earlier!
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