# Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)

> Pendik, Istanbul, TR · IATA: SAW · ICAO: LTFJ · Large Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `SAW` |
| ICAO | `LTFJ` |
| City | Pendik, Istanbul |
| Country | TR |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 95 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| Cargo Rank | #2 |
| GPS | 40.89860, 29.30920 |

## Description

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW, LTFJ) functions primarily as a high-growth passenger gateway rather than a dedicated freight hub, and 2025's record 48.42 million passengers (up 17% year on year) underline that role. The airport's cargo terminal has a stated capacity of over 90,000 tonnes per year, though verified figures for actual freight volumes handled at SAW in 2025 were not available in current sources. Pegasus Airlines is the airport's dominant carrier and has operated freighter flights on selected domestic and international routes, as well as from Izmir and Antalya, alongside its core low-cost passenger network; AJet ranks as the second-largest carrier. Most air cargo moving through SAW therefore travels as belly freight on passenger aircraft rather than aboard dedicated freighters. For larger international cargo volumes and carriers such as Turkish Cargo, Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side of the city remains Turkey's principal cargo center, now ranked among the world's top 20 cargo airports. Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB) on the Aegean coast offers a further regional alternative for shippers. SAW is best suited to smaller, time-sensitive shipments that benefit from Pegasus's dense short- and medium-haul network rather than bulk freight or dangerous-goods charters. Businesses needing dedicated freighter capacity typically route through IST instead.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/istanbul-sabiha-goekcen-international-airport-saw](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/istanbul-sabiha-goekcen-international-airport-saw)*

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