Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB) is the primary international gateway to Turkey's capital and second-largest city - Ankara.
The airport is located 28 kilometers northeast of the city center. It’s a modern facility often lauded for its efficiency and comfort. In 2009, it won an award for the best airport in Europe - the first Turkish airport to do so.
In 2024, Ankara served almost 13 million passengers of which over 9 million were on domestic flights. This ranked it as Turkey’s fourth busiest airport after Istanbul’s IST and SAW, and Antalya (AYT).
Major Airlines - AJet, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines
Three airlines use Ankara Airport as a hub for (some of) their operations:
AJet: Also known as Anadolu Jet, this Turkish low-cost carrier serves over 60 destinations in Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Pegasus Airlines: A quickly-growing low-cost carrier focused on connecting the West with the East.
Turkish Airlines: Although its main hub is Istanbul Airport, the national carrier has aircraft stationed at ESB and operates numerous daily flights between Turkey’s two biggest cities.
Other airlines with a significant number of flights and destinations from Ankara include SunExpress and Iraqi Airways.
International full-service airlines that serve ESB are also important to its connectivity. Some of them include Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Uzbekistan Airways, and Azerbaijan Airlines.
See the full list of airlines at ESB here.
Terminal Layout and Gates of ESB
The current single terminal of Ankara Esenboğa Airport dates back to 2006 and is divided into a domestic part and an international part.
The terminal is organized into three main floors:
Arrival Floor: This level handles all incoming flights. There are several cafés, a prayer room, ATMs, left luggage, and car rental companies’ desks.
Arrival Mezzanine Floor: Offers some additional services like Transit for those in a layover and facilities like a hairdresser, a pool, and the car parks’ payment point.
Departure Floor: Featuring check-in counters, security checkpoints, departure gates, a few lounges, cafes, and restaurants.
In total, Esenboğa Airport has 15 boarding gates, 10 of which use buses to reach the aircraft.
Connecting Flights and Transit at Ankara Esenboğa
Ankara Esenboğa Airport has transit services and a transit area only for those passengers who have two tickets booked together for flights with the same airline connecting in Ankara.
All other transits will require that you clear Immigration on your way out and re-enter the airport.
Wi-Fi at Ankara Airport
The airport offers free and uninterrupted Wi-Fi throughout the terminal although signing up can be a bit of a hassle.
You have a choice of three different methods to connect to the airport Wi-Fi:
If you have a Turkish phone number: Connect to the wifi network and verify through SMS.
Turkish ID Number Registration: Register your passport details at one of the Wi-Fi kiosks at the airport to gain access.
Passport Kiosk Registration: Use the aforementioned airport kiosks to scan your passport and obtain login credentials.
Although relatively cumbersome to connect, the Wi-Fi is fast enough for most needs.
Alternatively, you can buy a drink from one of the coffee shops at the airport or buy a pass for one of the lounges and use the wifi there instead.
Restaurants and cafes at Ankara Airport
There is a diverse selection of places to eat within the terminal. Keep in mind that prices are much higher than in the city.
Some of the best restaurants at ESB include:
TickerDaze: A pleasant pub serving a hearty breakfast and a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks located airside in International Departures.
Bomonti Brasserie: Serves fast food and alcoholic beverages. Situated airside in the domestic area.
Burger King: The popular fast food chain is always ready to serve you flame-grilled burgers. Found on the domestic mezzanine floor.
Popeyes: Craving fried chicken? Find your fix at Popeyes in the general landside area.
Restro: Offers many different types of carefully prepared food. Located landside.
For coffee, you can try either Caffè Nero, Teras Cafe, or Starbucks. There is at least one coffee shop in each area of the airport (general landside, domestic, and international airside).
Lounges at Ankara Esenboğa Airport ESB
There are three lounges at Ankara Airport ready to serve premium passengers and members of eligible contracted institutions:
Primeclass Lounge (International Terminal): Located on the Mezzanine floor just past the Duty Free shops. It features an open buffet, snacks, soft and alcoholic beverages, and other amenities for the business traveler. There are also shower facilities. Entry, if not complimentary for premium passengers, costs 55 EUR.
Primeclass Lounge (Domestic Terminal): The equivalent VIP lounge for domestic travelers.
THY Cip Salonu: Operated by Turkish Airlines and located near the Domestic Lines Arrivals floor. It caters to Business Class, Elite Card holders, and Star Alliance Gold members. You can expect great food options including Turkish meze, as well as fresh tea and coffee from a professional machine. This lounge does not serve alcohol.
Access to the lounges is generally limited to 3 hours.
Transport to and from the airport
Esenboğa Airport is about 28 kilometers from Ankara. Though this distance doesn’t sound overly far, the sprawling city is known for often having bad traffic congestion so the trip between the two may take longer than expected.
Public transport links between the airport and the city are in the form of shuttles and buses:
Havaş Shuttle Services: These shuttles depart every half hour between 03:00 - 21:00. They connect the airport to the Aşti Terminal, the Ankara High-Speed Train Station, and Kırıkkale. The single ticket price is currently 37 TRY.
EGO Public Buses: Bus route 442 serves Ankara Airport connecting it to important transport hubs in Ankara like the train station and the Intercity Bus Terminal. It’s a slightly slower service than the shuttles but also a bit cheaper too.
Taxis are also available and an option if you want to get to Ankara the quickest. The designated taxi zones are right outside the terminal with cars available 24/7. A trip to the city center costs around 20 USD.
If you’d like to drive by yourself, rent a car from one of the several agencies operating at the airport.
Parking at Ankara Airport
ESB Airport provides two official parking options very near the terminal. One is indoor and the other one outdoor.
Multi-Storey Car Park: Has a capacity of over 4000 spots. The first hour costs 130 TRY, dropping for longer stays. Maxed at 450 TRY per day for cars.
Open Car Park: The first hour costs 100 TRY, dropping for longer stays. Maxed at 370 TRY per day for cars.
Pay in advance or subscribe for long-term parking in order to get discounts.
You can pay at either the manual payment points (on each side of the parking lots) or at the automatic exits using the automated payment barrier.
Hotels near Ankara Esenboğa Airport
Unfortunately, there are no hotels inside the terminal or within the airport grounds.
The closest hotel is ibis Ankara Airport Hotel, about 2 kilometers from the airport. This takes around 30 minutes to walk or just 3 minutes by car/taxi. This hotel does not offer a complimentary shuttle which is its biggest drawback because everything else is pretty good: a high standard of cleanliness, a rich breakfast, and a good restaurant at reasonable prices.
A more upscale option is the 5-star spa hotel Anadolu Hotels Esenboğa Thermal which is about a 15-minute drive from the terminal of ESB. A big and beautiful hotel set in a picturesque area, complete with wonderful spa facilities and an unmissable breakfast.
Much more choice is available in Ankara's city center, so unless you’re pressed for time, it may be a wise choice to make the trip downtown and spend the night there.
Ankara, Turkiye
