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Dubai to Istanbul flights: airlines, flight time and which airport to choose
Route guidePublishedUpdatedBy Anas Ismail, Safrova

Dubai to Istanbul flights: airlines, flight time and which airport to choose

Quick answer

A non-stop flight from Dubai to Istanbul takes 5 hours to 5 hours 20 minutes, and Istanbul is one hour behind Dubai. Five airlines fly it from Dubai International: Turkish Airlines and Emirates to Istanbul Airport (IST), Pegasus and AJet to Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), and flydubai to both airports.

A non-stop flight from Dubai to Istanbul takes between 5 hours and 5 hours 20 minutes. Istanbul is one hour behind Dubai, so a flight that leaves Dubai at 10:00 lands in Istanbul at about 14:10 local time.

Five airlines fly the route non-stop from Dubai International (DXB). They land at two different airports on opposite sides of the Bosphorus, and that choice decides how long your trip into the city takes.

Which airlines fly non-stop

AirlineIstanbul airportNon-stop flights on a sample day
Turkish AirlinesIstanbul Airport (IST)4
EmiratesIstanbul Airport (IST)3
flydubaiIST and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)2 to IST, 2 to SAW
PegasusSabiha Gökçen (SAW)1
AJetSabiha Gökçen (SAW)1

These counts come from the Google Flights schedule for Wednesday 2 December 2026, checked on 7 November. Schedules change with the season, so use them as a guide.

Pegasus and AJet leave Dubai in the early hours, at about 03:25 and 04:25, and land in Istanbul around breakfast time. Turkish Airlines and Emirates spread their departures across the day, from 02:50 to 17:45. flydubai flies to both airports, with departures from the morning to late evening.

IST or SAW?

Istanbul Airport (IST) is on the European side. The M11 metro runs from the terminal to Gayrettepe, and Havaist buses go to central districts including Taksim, Beşiktaş, Eminönü and Sultanahmet.

Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side, in Pendik/Kurtköy, about 40 km from Kadıköy and 50 km from Taksim. The M4 metro runs from the airport to Kadıköy, and Havabüs coaches go to Kadıköy and Taksim.

If your hotel is in Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu or Taksim, IST is usually the easier arrival. If you are staying in Kadıköy or elsewhere on the Asian side, SAW saves you crossing the Bosphorus after a five-hour flight. A cheaper ticket into SAW can lose its advantage if you then need a long taxi ride to a hotel on the European side.

What fares look like

When we checked on 7 November for a one-way economy ticket on 2 December, the lowest fares were about AED 890 on AJet, AED 1,065 on Pegasus, AED 1,315 on flydubai, AED 1,955 on Turkish Airlines and AED 2,105 on Emirates.

The two cheapest fares were basic tickets, so add the cost of baggage before you compare, especially for a trip of a week or more. Our Emirates, flydubai and Turkish Airlines baggage pages show what each fare type includes.

Prices move every day. Search on Safrova to see current fares from our travel partners side by side before you book.

Entry rules for UAE citizens and residents

Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists UAE citizens as exempt from a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Saudi, Kuwaiti and Omani citizens can also stay up to 90 days within 180 days, and Qatari citizens up to 90 days within six months for tourism or transit.

For residents, the rule depends on the passport you hold, and your UAE residence visa does not change it. Holders of several common passports, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Philippine, Sri Lankan and Nepali passports, can get an e-Visa at evisa.gov.tr only if they also hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit. For most of these passports it is a single-entry e-Visa valid for one month (30 days for Philippine passports), and some come with further conditions, so read the entry for your country. Without one of those visas, you need a visa from a Türkiye embassy or consulate: you fill in the ministry's online pre-application (visa.gov.tr), then finish the application at the mission. The ministry also says every visa applicant needs medical insurance for the whole stay.

Check the ministry's list for your own passport before you book: Visa information for foreigners. Our Türkiye visa page has more detail.

Before you book

  • Check your passport against the ministry's visa list, and apply early if you need a visa.
  • Choose the airport by where you are staying in Istanbul.
  • Add checked baggage to low-cost fares before you compare prices.
  • Remember the one-hour time difference when you plan transfers and hotel check-in.

For what to do after you land, see our Istanbul guide and the 5-day Istanbul plan.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the flight from Dubai to Istanbul?

Between 5 hours and 5 hours 20 minutes non-stop. Istanbul is one hour behind Dubai, so a flight that leaves Dubai at 10:00 lands at about 14:10 local time.

Which airlines land at Istanbul Airport (IST) and which at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)?

Turkish Airlines and Emirates land at Istanbul Airport (IST), Pegasus and AJet at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), and flydubai flies to both, in the Google Flights schedule for 2 December 2026.

Do UAE citizens need a visa for Türkiye?

No. Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists UAE citizens as exempt from a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. For UAE residents, the rule depends on the passport they hold, not the residence visa.

Sources

Last checked: 7 November 2026

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